Endometriosis (synonyms: Adenomyomatosis; Adenomyosis; Adenomyosis uteri; Pelvic endometriosis; Bladder endometriosis; Bowel endometriosis; Douglas endometriosis; Ovarian endometriosis; Fallopian tube endometriosis; Endometriosis of the uterine tube; Endometriosis of the pelvic peritoneum; Endometriosis of the pelviperitoneum; Endometriosis of the septum rectovaginale; Endometriosis cyst; Endometriosis externa; Endometriosis genitalis; Endometriosis genitalis externa; Endometriosis genitalis interna; Endometriosis ovarii; Endometriosis tubae; Endometriosis uteri; Endometriosis uteri externa; Endometriosis uteri interna; Endometriosis vaginae; Endometrumectopy; Skin endometriosis; Skin scar endometriosis; Hysteroadenosis; Intestinal endometriosis; Umbilical endometriosis; Scar endometriosis; Ovarian endometriosis; Portio endometriosis; Rectal endometriosis Chocolate cyst of ovary; Tea cyst of ovary; Tubal endometriosis; Uterine endometriosis; Vaginal endometriosis) refers to the presence of endometrium (endometrium) extrauterine (outside the uterine cavity), for example, in or on the ovaries (ovaries), tubes (fallopian tubes), urinary bladder, or bowel. It is a chronic, estrogen-dependent (female sex hormone) disease. The ICD-GM-10 classification is primarily based on location:
- ICD-10-GM N80.- Endometriosis
- ICD-10-GM N80.0 Endometriosis of the uterus (womb)
- ICD-10-GM N80.1 Endometriosis of the ovary (ovary)
- ICD-10-GM N80.2 Endometriosis of the uterine tube (fallopian tube)
- ICD-10-GM N80.3 Endometriosis of the pelvic peritoneum (peritoneum of the pelvis).
- ICD-10-GM N80.4 Endometriosis of the rectovaginal septum (connective tissue partition/septum between the vagina/vagina and the rectum/rectum) and the vagina (vagina)
- ICD-10-GM N80.5 Endometriosis of the intestine.
- ICD-10-GM N80.6 Endometriosis in skin scar
- ICD-10-GM N80.8 Other endometriosis
- ICD-10-GM N80.9 Endometriosis, unspecified
The ectopic endometrium (“lining of the uterus lying outside the uterus”) is also subject to the same cyclic hormonal changes outside the uterus (womb). This means that bleeding also occurs there during menstruation. It consists of glands, stromal cells (cells of an organ that perform general support and nutritional functions) and smooth muscle. It is supplied by nerves, blood and lymph vessels. Frequency peak: The disease usually occurs during sexual maturity, but is not diagnosed until up to 10 years later. Women between the ages of 15 and 50 are affected. The prevalence (disease frequency) is 4-15% of all women in Germany (between puberty and menopause). During the phase of sexual maturity, 7-15 % are affected. In women with dysmenorrhea (period pain), the prevalence is 40-60%, in women with chronic abdominal pain it is over 30%, and in women with infertility it is about 20-30%. Although endometriosis is considered a disease of the fertile age (phase of fertility), it has been detected histologically (by fine tissue) in isolated cases before menarche (occurrence of the first menstrual period). Postmenopausal (time after menopause/time of the last spontaneous menstruation in a woman’s life) there are also a few, few cases (2.5% of all affected persons). The diagnosis is often only made after many years because of unspecific complaints. In Germany, an average of 6-8 years elapse between the first symptoms and the diagnosis. The incidence (frequency of new cases) is estimated at approximately 40,000 cases per year (in Germany). Course and prognosis: Endometriosis is a chronic disease. The disease is one of the most frequent causes of cycle-related pain and infertility in premenopausal women; it can also occur in peri- and postmenopausal women (histologically confirmed endometriosis, newly diagnosed annually: 17% in the 45-55 age group; 2.5% in the 55-95 age group). Although it is a benign disease, cross-organ and infiltrative (“invading”) growth may occur.The type of therapy (surgical and/or medicinal) depends on the symptoms, the stage and whether there is a desire to have children, because endometriosis is a frequent cause of fertility problems (probably 30-50 % of women with endometriosis have an unfulfilled desire to have children).Endometriosis occurs recurrently (“recurring”). The stage-dependent recurrence rate is 20-80%.
