Superficial Peritoneal Endometriosis: Clinical Characteristics of 203 Confirmed Cases and 1292 Endometriosis-Free Controls

The aim of this study was to characterize a large sample of women with superficial peritoneal endometriosis (SUP) and no other types of endometriosis in order to test the association of SUP with gynecologic symptoms. We included 203 cases of histologically proven SUP and 1292 endometriosis-free controls diagnosed between January 2004 and July 2017. The participants were non-pregnant patients aged 18 to 42 years submitted to a laparoscopy or laparotomy for a benign gynecologic condition. We excluded all cases of ovarian endometrioma, deep infiltrating endometriosis, and women who had previously undergone an endometriosis surgery. All patients underwent face-to-face interviews, thorough preoperative physical examination, and transvaginal ultrasound. Pain severity was assessed preoperatively through an 11-point numerical rating scale. The association of SUP with gynecologic symptoms was adjusted for potential confounders using multivariable logistic regression. The presence of SUP was associated with lower body weight (59.8 vs. 63.5 kg) and body mass index (21.8 vs. 23.3 kg/m(2)), and a higher frequency of smoking habit (41.6% vs. 32.8%) and of positive familial history of endometriosis (7.0% vs. 2.3%). Moreover, SUP was associated with an increased risk of primary infertility (adjusted prevalence ratio [PR] 1.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.46-2.24), moderate to intense dysmenorrhea (PR 1.43, 95% CI 1.31-1.52), and moderate to intense deep dyspareunia (PR 1.50, 95% CI 1.25-1.75). In conclusion, in this large surgical series, isolated SUP was independently associated to primary infertility and moderate to severe painful symptoms.