ENDOMETRIOSIS

Endometriosis is a disease primarily of the female reproductive system that is often misdiagnosed, and the result of misdiagnosis can have devastating consequences to the sufferer. It is a common and often debilitating condition. It most frequently affects women in their reproductive years.
Endometriosis is a disease affecting an estimated 77 million women and teens worldwide. It is a leading cause of infertility, chronic pelvic pain and hysterectomy. At the time of tubal ligation 2-5% of women will have endometriosis, while between 25-50% of infertile women have been reported to have endometriosis. Endometriosis affects approximately 6-7% of all females, 30-40% of whom are infertile.
"Endometriosis is defined as the abnormal growth of endometrial cells - the same cells that make up the lining of the uterus and are shed monthly in the menstrual process - outside the uterus" (Schrotenboer and Subak- Sharpe, 74)
These wayward cells can position themselves in the lower abdomen on areas such as the female organs and the stomach, and occasionally they can be found in such remote places as the lungs. On these locations the cells act as though they are uterine cells, adjusting to the changing hormone levels of the menstrual cycle. But unlike uterine cells, they have no passage-way out of the body so they stay where they are and they continue their cycle, causing scarring and adhesions as the body attempts to protect itself from the harm. (Schrotenboer and Subak-Sharpe, at al., 74-76)
Except of the trophoblast, endometriosis is the only example of a benign proliferative process that invades and distorts or even destroys otherwise normal organs. The rate at which proliferation and invasion occur is governed by unknown factors, and these processes are unpredictable. Therefore, the natural course of the disease in any individual patient cannot be predicted.