Intestinal endometriosis in women is the so-called extragenital endometriosis, when the localization of foci of the disease is detected outside the sexual system.
Endometriosis of the intestine and its symptoms
Endometriosis of the intestine develops usually as a secondary process of late stages of spreading the focus of the disease from the genital area. As a primary lesion of the intestine is extremely rare and is developing presumably as a result of hematogenous transport of elements of the endometrium on the walls of the intestine.
Characteristic symptoms of the disease are periodic constipation or stool disorders, accompanied by cramping pain in the abdominal area.
Symptoms of Sigmoid Endometriosis
Basically, the disease affects the large intestine, while up to 70% of cases in diagnosing endometriosis occur in the lower parts of the sigmoid colon and rectum. Prevalent localization of extragenital endometriosis is such areas of the colon as retrocervical and retrovaginal.
Signs of endometriosis of the intestine - soreness of the lower abdomen on the eve and during the menstrual cycle, increased flatulence, rarely - diarrhea. The spread of the process to the mucous membranes of the large intestine is accompanied by increased pain, spasms , the appearance of constipation, bloating, difficulty in the escape of gases, nausea, impurities of bloody mucus in the stool.
Endometriosis of the rectum - symptoms
Most of the symptoms appear as a result of the irritating effect of the endometrioid nodes located in the region of the Douglas space or the recto-vaginal septum.
Most often the foci of the endometrioid tissue are located on the walls of the rectum. In some cases, penetrating endometriosis is noted.
The appearance of intestinal symptoms is associated in such cases with the presence of adhesions leading to pinching and squeezing of the intestine.