Publications by authors named "Francesca Caprara"
A century ago, Sampson identified three uterine anatomical structures that may determine the amount of retrograde menstruation and the likelihood of the development of endometriosis: the cervix, the intramural portion of the fallopian tubes, and the myometrium. Critical appraisal was undertaken of data published over the last 40 years on the potential effect of the characteristics of these three anatomical variables on the risk of endometriosis. There is some evidence to support the pathogenic role of the diameter of the cervical canal, stenosis of internal or external orifices, and stiffness of cervical tissue.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStudy Question: What are the quantitative, qualitative, and temporal patterns of retrograde mentruation?
Summary Answer: The extreme quantitative and qualitative heterogeneity of the available studies prevents the definitive conclusion that retrograde menstruation is a universal and consistent phenomenon during the reproductive period.
What Is Known Already: Retrograde menstruation has been defined as a universal, physiological phenomenon that occurs similarly in about 90% of menstruators during the reproductive period. However, uncertainties still exist in terms of the event frequency, total amount, and cellular composition of retrograde menstruation and the differences between individuals with versus those without endometriosis.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates whether the prevalence of endometriosis differs among patients with obstructive Müllerian anomalies (OMA), nonobstructive Müllerian anomalies (NOMA), and those without Müllerian anomalies.
- Results indicate that endometriosis is significantly more common in patients with OMA compared to those with NOMA, while the prevalence in NOMA patients is similar to those without Müllerian anomalies.
- The research reinforces existing theories on endometriosis, notably the retrograde menstruation theory related to OMA, while raising questions about the mechanisms in NOMA patients.
One-fourth to one-third of women with endometriosis receiving first-line hormonal treatment lacks an adequate response in terms of resolution of painful symptoms. This phenomenon has been ascribed to "progesterone resistance", an entity that was theorized to explain the gap between the ubiquity of retrograde menstruation and the 10% prevalence of endometriosis among women of reproductive age.Nevertheless, the hypothesis of progesterone resistance is not free of controversies.
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