Ww. Thomas et al., PALLIATION OF RECURRENT ENDOMETRIOSIS WITH RADIOTHERAPEUTIC ABLATION OF OVARIAN REMNANTS, Fertility and sterility, 68(5), 1997, pp. 938-940
Objective: To review the use of radiotherapy for relieving the symptom
s of recurrent endometriosis caused by functioning ovarian remnants. D
esign: Retrospective study (case report). Patient(s): A woman with rec
urrent endometriosis of 14 years' duration. Intervention(s): After hys
terectomy and bilateral oophorectomy, hormonal management, and multipl
e explorations for recurrent endometriosis, cycling ovarian remnants w
ere confirmed histologically. Pelvic irradiation was used to ablate th
is tissue. A dose of 15 Gy in 10 daily fractions was given through ant
erior and posterior opposed fields using 18-mV photons. Result(s): The
patient had a prompt increase in FSH levels associated with castratio
n levels of serum E-2. A review of the literature on the use of radiot
herapy in this clinical situation is presented. Conclusion(s): Radioth
erapy should be considered in selected patients when ovarian castratio
n is not a viable surgical option and hormonal therapies have failed.
(C) 1997 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.