Deeply infiltrating pelvic endometriosis: histology and clinical significance

In 179 consecutive laparoscopies for infertility (n=105), pain (n=60), or both problems (n=14), endometriosis was diagnosed in 77%, 82%, and 86%, respectively. Eighty implants with positive histology and with careful assessment of depth were sampled by CO2 laser excision from 53 patients. Deep (≥5mm), intermediate (2 to 4mm), and superficial (10mm) were found exclusively in patients with pain; superficial implants, on the contrary, were found most frequently in patients with infertility (83%).