A Retrospective Review of Abdominal Wall Endometriosis in Shanghai, China

Objective: To quantify the demographic characteristics, symptoms, and outcomes of women with abdominal wall endometriosis (AWE) in order to identify the optimal treatment and prevention techniques for AWE in the Chinese population.

Methods: In a retrospective study, women diagnosed with AWE at the Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China, between January 2003 and December 2011 were identified from the hospital's medical records. Data on patient age, previous surgeries, symptoms, asymptomatic time interval, duration of complaints, mass location, size, tenderness, diagnosis, treatment, and recurrence were analyzed.

Results: During the study period, 229 women were diagnosed with AWE, and histopathologic confirmation was obtained for 227 women (mean age, 31.7±3.8 years). Each of these patients had undergone previous surgery, and 14 had undergone resection for AWE. The primary symptoms were pain, either cyclical (65.2%) or noncyclical (27.3%), and presence of a mass (84.1%; mean diameter, 2.9±1.3 cm). The mean time interval between previous surgery and onset of symptoms was 2.3±2.2 years. For all patients, the abdominal mass was surgically excised. The postoperative recurrence rate was 1.5%.

Conclusion: Complete resection is the primary treatment for AWE. A combination of surgical re-excision and postoperative adjuvant medical therapy is recommended for patients with recurrent AWE.