Clinical and endocrine features of Brazilian infertile women with or without endometriosis: A comparative cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective: To compare the clinical and endocrinological features of infertile Brazilian woman with or without endometriosis. Methods: This is a cross-sectional comparative study including infertile patients without an established indication for in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmatic sperm injection at a tertiary center for reproductive medicine. A complete investigation of the cause of female infertile included videolaparoscopy for pelvic cavity and peritoneal factor evaluation. Results: Average patient age was (31.6±4.6) years. Sixty-nine percent patients presented with dysmenorrhea, 38% with bowel disturbances, and 21% with deep dyspareunia. Endometriosis was found in 76% of patients, and 91% had primary infertility. Dysmenorrhea was the only symptom that was more prevalent in infertile women with endometriosis. Compared to those without, patients with endometriosis had higher levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), prolactin (PRL), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and carcinogen antigen-125 and lower levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol, progesterone, and free thyroxin. Conclusions: Endometriosis is highly prevalent in the Brazilian population and, dysmenorrhea is the only clinical symptom associated with the diagnosis of endometriosis. Infertile patients with endometriosis have higher levels of FSH, PRL and TSH than infertile women without endometriosis.

Keywords

• Dysmenorrhea
• Endometriosis
• Gonadotropins
• Infertility
• Laparoscopy