About Endometriosis
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a condition in which cells similar to the lining of the womb
(the endometrium) are deposited elsewhere in the body. Common places for
endometriosis are the ovaries, behind the womb (the pouch of Douglas) and
occasionally on the bowel or bladder. Endometriosis has even been found on the
lungs, although this is extremely rare.
What causes endometriosis?
The most popular theory is that endometriosis is caused when cells from the
lining of the womb go backwards through the fallopian tubes into the pelvis
during your period. This process is called retrograde menstruation.
Another popular theory suggests that cells of the lining of the womb are also
formed in other parts of the pelvis when the organs are developing in babies -
or that normal cells undergo transformation to endometriosis cells at puberty.
Some people have also suggested that the cells from the lining of the womb (the
endometrium) may be carried to other parts of the pelvis in the blood supply.
No one really knows for sure which of these theories is correct, but our current
thinking is that the cells that produce endometriosis were laid down in the
developing baby.
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Is endometriosis common?
As it is only possible to diagnose the condition through surgery, it's difficult
to know how many women actually have endometriosis. We estimate that between 1%
and 7% of women of childbearing age suffer from the disease to varying degrees.
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