Type:
Educational Exhibit
Keywords:
Not applicable, Tissue characterisation, Hernia, Surgery, Education, Complications, Ultrasound, MR, CT, Musculoskeletal soft tissue, Genital / Reproductive system female, Abdomen, Genitourinary
Authors:
C. D. O. Mira1, A. Guerra2; 1Loures/PT, 2Lisboa/PT
DOI:
10.26044/ecr2020/C-12436
Background
Endometriosis consists in the presence of functional endometrial glands and stroma outside the uterine cavity. It affects as many as 10% of women of reproductive age and is found in 20%–50% of women with infertility and 90% of women with chronic pelvic pain. It most commonly involves the pelvis in the form of peritoneal superficial implants, deep endometriosis and endometriomas.
Abdominal wall is the most frequent location of extrapelvic endometriosis, usually associated with a surgical procedure, commonly a caesarean section. The most likely pathogenic mechanism is iatrogenic implantation of endometrial tissue, followed by proliferation under the stimulation of estrogens.
Clinical symptoms are nonspecific. The most common clinical presentation is of an abdominal wall mass associated with a surgical incision site, usually with cyclical pain corresponding to the patient’s menstrual cycle.
We review the imaging features of abdominal wall endometriosis (AWE) and its potential mimics.