ENDOSALPINGIOSIS - CLINICAL PRESENTATION AND FOLLOW-UP

Objective: To define the clinical presentation and follow-up of women found to have endosalpingiosis. Methods: Subjects included for retrosp ective study were identified as having had a pathologic diagnosis of e ndosalpingiosis, Those subjects without coinciding pathologic diagnosi s of endometriosis were then identified; their clinical charts were re viewed for information regarding the clinical presentation, surgical f indings, therapeutic management, and clinical follow-up. Results: Revi ew of 1,648 pathologic reports from Children's Hospital, Boston and 38 0 reports from Brigham and Women's Hospital identified 18 subjects wit h endosalpingiosis without pathologic evidence of endometriosis. Two c linical scenarios were identified, and designated Groups I and II. Gro up I consisted of 15 patients presenting with pelvic pain, and Group I I consisted of 3 patients presenting with infertility, pancreatic canc er, and an abdominal abscess. Follow-up was obtained for 8 of the 15 p atients in Group I for an average of 17 months, none of whom were pain -free off medications (oral contraceptives, danazol, or GnRH agonist), and 3 (38%) have required additional surgery (6, 10 or 12 months afte r the initial surgery) at which time all were found to have endometrio sis. Follow-up was obtainable for the patient with infertility in Grou p II for 5 months, with no complaint of pelvic pain. Conclusions: We r eport 18 patients with endosalpingiosis without confounding endometrio sis. The clinical presentation is one of either pelvic pain or that of an incidental finding; the clinical course and response of those with pain is similar to that of endometriosis.