Cl. Coe et al., PROFILE OF ENDOMETRIOSIS IN THE AGING FEMALE RHESUS-MONKEY, The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, 53(1), 1998, pp. 3-7
Background. A retrospective analysis was conducted on necropsy records
from a large rhesus monkey colony to evaluate the age-related prevale
nce of endometriosis. Methods. A total of 314 records collected over a
15-year period were analyzed, yielding 66 monkeys with histologically
verified endometriosis and 248 control subjects. Results. The analyse
s demonstrated that the incidence of endometriosis increases progressi
vely across the life span, ultimately impacting 21-45% of aged monkeys
over 20 years of age. Conclusions. Because mild disease is often not
diagnosed premortem, the endocrine and immune sequelae of endometriosi
s may be a potential confound in even nonreproductive research with ag
ing primates. Prior research-related events influence the occurrence a
nd severity of endometriosis in these long-lived animals, and specific
ally could have contributed to the high prevalence of endometriosis in
this particular monkey colony.