Clinical Aspects of Adolescent Endometriosis

Early diagnosis and long-term management of endometriosis is important in adolescent girls considering their potential for future pregnancy and need for preventing disease progression. However, symptoms and clinical findings of adolescent endometriosis may differ from those of typical adult endometriosis, making diagnosis difficult. In adolescents, menstrual pain may present as acyclic and unresponsive to commonly used medication. Typical imaging findings in adult endometriosis, such as ovarian endometriotic cysts and fibrotic scars, are less common in adolescents. Peritoneal lesions, characteristic of early-stage endometriosis, are commonly found in this age group. It should be noted that endometriosis may also be found in adolescents before menarche, because of premenarcheal endometriosis or congenital uterine anomaly and outflow obstruction; the latter requiring surgical correction. Although surgery is reported to be effective for pain, postsurgical recurrence rate is high, and the effect of hormonal treatment is controversial. The optimal timing for surgical intervention also remains to be determined. Here, we aim to identify the unique characteristics of endometriosis in adolescents to achieve early diagnosis and optimal management for this group of patients.