Endometriosis is a chronic, estrogen-dependent inflammatory disease characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus, causing pelvic pain and infertility. Infertility arises mainly due to inflammatory mediators in the peritoneal fluid, contributing to local hypoestrogenism, which appears to exacerbate chronic inflammation and sensitize pelvic nerves. Local hypoestrogenism within endometriotic lesions contrasts with the systemic estrogen-dependent nature of the disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFallopian tubes are not usually visible on a transvaginal pelvic scan unless pelvic fluid or pathological processes are present. Depending on the underlying pathological process, they may exhibit different wall thicknesses, grades of vascularization, and variable echogenicity. Recognizing the affected tube and assessing the possible underlying process is of primary importance in clinical practice, as pathological tubes may represent benign pathologies, oncological state, or life-threatening conditions requiring different treatment to preserve fertility.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdenomyosis is a chronic, hormone-related disease characterized by the presence of the endometrial glands and stroma within the myometrium. This condition can manifest in various features, focal or diffuse adenomyosis or as an adenomyoma, and it may involve different uterine walls (posterior, anterior, and/or lateral walls). The disease can also be classified into different degrees, as mild, moderate and severe, which can be associated with more intense symptoms, although this correlation is not always directly proportional.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUterine leiomyomas are the most common benign uterine tumors in women and are often asymptomatic, with clinical manifestation occurring in 20-25% of cases. The diagnostic pathway begins with clinical suspicion and includes an ultrasound examination, diagnostic hysteroscopy, and, when deemed necessary, magnetic resonance imaging. The decision-making process should consider the impairment of quality of life due to symptoms, reproductive desire, suspicion of malignancy, and, of course, the woman's preferences.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis article provides a literature review on tubal carcinoma to offer an updated insight into its preventative strategies, diagnosis, treatment and oncological surveillance. In addition to the search string utilized, the authors' focus extended to key scientific studies, consensus statements, guidelines and relevant case reports essential for the proper clinical management of the disease, providing a methodologically well-structured literature review combined with practical expertise in the oncological field. This article also includes two special clinical cases that emphasize the importance of understanding the physiopathology and the current state of the art in the anatomopathological advancements in tubal/ovarian/peritoneal carcinoma, often assimilated into a single clinical entity and to which many of the concepts extracted from the literature can apply.
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