Endometriosis and Infertility: An Appraisal of Articles.

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a common progressive gynecological disorder which often poses a mystery to women affected and to health care provider alike. It is a condition in which tissue that normally grows inside the uterus (endometrium) grows outside it. It is estimated that about 6-10% of women in the reproductive age group worldwide have endometriosis. This report is likely to be an underestimated figure because many are misdiagnosed, misinterpreted or mislabeled. Many women with endometriosis experience few or no symptoms but those symptomatic typically present with pelvic pain, infertility, or an adnexal mass, and may require surgery. No known established cause has been identiued to explain the link between endometriosis and infertility; however, several mech anisms have been proposed. While there is no cure for endometriosis, there are two types of interventions; treatment of pain and treatment of endometriosis-associated infertility. Treatment of endometriosis in the setting of infertility can be quite challenging both for the care giver and the affected individual.