What are the causes and effects of endometriosis?

A cause for endometriosis has not yet been found. Women often become infertile due to endometriosis, because inflammation association with endometriosis may lead to scarring of fallopian tubes and ovaries. Endometriosis can only be detected through a surgical procedure called laparoscopy.

Some experts estimate that up to 50% of all female infertility cases are caused by endometriosis. The disease is particularly difficult to diagnose, because endometrial implants cannot be seen or felt during a routine pelvic exam. If a woman suspects endometriosis, the physician will conduct a procedure called laparoscopy, in which a fiber-optic viewing tube is inserted through a surgical incision made in the lower abdomen. This enables the physician to see scarring and endometrial tissue.

While endometriosis most commonly occurs on the ovaries or immediately around the uterus, tissue can also adhere to the intestines, the bladder, the vagina, or very rarely in the chest cavity or lungs.

Researchers do not yet know the cause of endometriosis. Risk factors include heredity, having an abnormal uterus, being of Caucasian descent, or giving birth for the first time after the age of 30.