Ethanol Sclerotherapy versus Laparoscopic Surgery for Endometrioma Treatment: A Prospective, Multicenter, Cohort Pilot Study.

Study Objective: To compare the cost-effectiveness of ultrasound (US)-guided aspiration and ethanol sclerotherapy versus laparoscopic surgery for benign-appearing ovarian endometrioma.

Design: Prospective, cohort pilot study.

Setting: Multiple centers, Spain.

Patients: Forty patients with suspected ovarian endometrioma identified by US, with a maximum diameter of 35 to 100 mm, of whom 33 met inclusion criteria.

Interventions: The study group (n = 17) underwent US-guided aspiration plus sclerotherapy with ethanol, and the control group (n = 14) underwent laparoscopic cystectomy.

Measurements And Main Results: Recurrence, complications, and direct costs were compared. One of 17 sclerotherapy patients recurred (5.9%) compared with 4 of 14 laparoscopic surgery patients (28.6%) (odds ratio 0.18, 0.01-1.53). No serious adverse effects (Clavien-Dindo ≥ III) were observed in the sclerotherapy group; 1 patient in the surgery group had a Clavien-Dindo IIIb complication. Median hospital direct costs were significantly lower in the sclerotherapy group than those in the surgery group-266 euros versus 2189 euros.

Conclusion: Ethanol sclerotherapy seems to be cost-effective for endometrioma and also appears to reduce complications. In this pilot study, recurrence was not higher than with conventional surgery.