Endometrioma is a type of blood-filled type of cyst in the ovary, which is more common during fertile years, before menopause. Although this is a slight change, it can cause symptoms such as pelvic pain and severe menstrual cramps, as well as affecting a woman’s fertility.
In many cases, the endometrioma disappears after menstruation, but in women with endometriosis, the cyst may remain, irritating ovarian tissue and causing the onset of symptoms, which should be treated with the use of a pill or surgery, depending on severity.
The most common symptoms of endometrioma include
The appearance and intensity of these symptoms vary from woman to woman and therefore each case should be evaluated individually by a gynecologist. However, if the pain is very severe or if there is heavy bleeding, it is advisable to go to the hospital immediately.
Endometrioma occurs when a piece of tissue lining the uterus, known as an endometrium, detaches and reaches the ovary, forming a small pouch that grows and builds up blood.
Endometrioma usually only develops when hormones are in circulation, so many women stop having endometrioma after menstruation, when there is a sharp drop in levels of these hormones. However, for women with endometriosis, this process does not occur and, as a result, the cyst remains in the ovary and continues to irritate surrounding tissues.
When the endometrioma does not go away, it continues to grow and can even multiply, affecting a larger area of the ovary, which can eventually affect a woman’s fertility.
Endometrioma is not cancer and there is a very low chance that it will develop into cancer. However, severe endometrioma can cause several complications and even recur after treatment.
The main complication of endometrioma is the decrease in fertility of the woman, however, it is more common when the cyst is very large or the woman has more than one cyst. Changes that usually interfere with fertility include:
In addition, some women may also have a hormonal imbalance that is the basis of the endometrioma, so even if the egg is fertilized, it may have trouble attaching to the lining of the uterus.
Treatment of endometrioma depends on the severity of symptoms and the size of the cyst. In many cases, treatment can only be done with continued use of a birth control pill that prevents menstruation and therefore prevents the accumulation of blood within the cyst.
However, if the cyst is very large or if very severe symptoms appear, the gynecologist may choose to have surgery to remove the affected tissue. However, if the cyst is very large or developed, the entire ovary may need to be removed. Better understand when this type of surgery is performed.
Abdominal wall endometrioma may occur more often in women after a C-section near the scar.
Symptoms of abdominal wall endometrioma can be a painful tumor, the size of which increases during menstruation. Diagnosis can be made by ultrasound or CT scan.
Abdominal wall endometrioma treatment is open surgery to remove the endometrioma and loosen tissue adhesions.