Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Pulmonary endometriosis

  • Published:
Lung Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Pulmonary endometriosis is manifested as either asymptomatic pulmonary nodules or as pneumothorax, hemothorax, or hemoptysis during menses. We review 84 cases of pulmonary endometriosis in the English literature and report 3 additional patients. One of our patients is the first reported to have hemoneumothorax. Catamenial pneumothorax usually involved the right chest, and occurred in young nulliparous women without pelvic endometrosis. Pleuroscopy, laparoscopy with pneumoperitoneum, and thoracotomy produced a tissue diagnosis infrequently. Hormonal suppression of ovulation and pleurodesis usually corrected this disorder. Catamenial hemothorax only affected the right chest, but occurred in older multiparous women with pelvic endometriosis. While thoracotomy or laparotomy produced a tissue diagnosis, these procedures were not curative. In contrast, our patient with this disorder was treated successfully with pleurectomy. Catamenial hemoptysis occurred in multiparous women without pelvic endometriosis. Bronchoscopy localized bleeding but never produced a tissue diagnosis. Thoracotomy produced endometrial tissue. Endometrial pulmonary nodules require a diagnosis but do not otherwise produce problems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Assor D (1972) Endometriosis of the lung: report of a case. Am J Clin Pathol 57:311–315

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Barnes J (1953) Endometriosis of the pleura and ovaries. J Obstet Gynaecol Br Emp 60:823

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Barracos A (1979) Catamenial pneumothorax: case report and review of the literature. Am Surg 45:340–343

    Google Scholar 

  4. Brews A (1954) Endometriosis including endometriosis of the diaphragm and Meigs syndrome. Proc R Soc Med 47:461

    Google Scholar 

  5. Butler H, Lake KB, Van Dyke JJ (1978) Bronchial endometriosis and bronchiectasis. Arch Intern Med 138:991

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Charles D (1957) Endometriosis and hemorrhagic pleural effusion. Obstet Gynecol 10:309–312

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Collins TFB (1967) Recurrent spontaneous pneumothoraces coincident with menstruation. S Afr Med J 41:391–392

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Crosby DL (1973) Catamenial pneumothorax. Ariz Med 30:260–261

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Davies R (1968) Recurring spontaneous pneumothorax concomitant with menstruation. Thorax 23:370–373

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Davies R, Kalinowski S (1971) Recurring spontaneous pneumothorax and its association with endometriosis. Br J Dis Chest 65:222–224

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Fleischman J, Davidson JF (1959) Vicarious menstruation: a likely case of pulmonary endometriosis. Lancet 2:88

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Furman WR, Wang KP, Summer WR, Terry PB (1980) Catamenial pneumothorax—evaluation by fiberoptic pleuroscopy. Am Rev Respir Dis 121:137–140

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Granberg I, Williams JS (1977) Endometriosis of lung and pleura diagnosed by aspiration biopsy. Acta Cytol 2:295–297

    Google Scholar 

  14. Herman MA (1976) Recurring spontaneous pneumothorax associated with menses. South Med J 69:488–489

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Hibbard LT, Schumann WR, Goldstein GE (1981) Thoracic endometrosis: a review and report of two cases. Am J Obstet Gynecol 140:227–230

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Irani S, Atkinson L, Cabaniss C, Danovitch S (1976) Pleuroperitoneal endometriosis. Obstet Gynecol 47:(suppl) 72S-74S

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Jelihovski T, Grant AF (1968) Endometriosis of the lung. Thorax 23:434–437

    Google Scholar 

  18. Kirshner PA, Delaleau S, Prusansky M (1973) Catamenial pneumothorax: observations and speculations. NY State J Med 73:2693–2694

    Google Scholar 

  19. Kishkovsky A, Baskakov VPO (1963) Roentgen diagnosis of pulmonary endometriosis. Westn Roentgenol Radiol 38:44

    Google Scholar 

  20. Kovarik JL, Toll GD (1966) Thoracic endometrosis with recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax. JAMA 196:595–597

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Lattes R, Shepard F, Tovell H (1956) Clinical and pathological study of endometriosis of the lung. Surg Gynecol Obstet 103:552

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Laws HL, Fox LS, Younger JB (1977) Bilateral catamenial pneumothorax. Arch Surg 112:627–628

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Lee CY, Di Loreta PC, Beaudoin J (1974) Catamenial pneumothorax. Obstet Gynecol 44:407–411

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Lillington GA, Mitchell SP, Wood GA (1972) Catamenial pneumothorax. JAMA 219:1328–1332

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Maurer ER, Schaal JA, Mendez FL Jr (1958) Chronic recurring spontaneous pneumothorax due to endometrosis of the diaphragm. JAMA 168:2013–2014

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Mayo P (1963) Recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax concomitant with menstruation. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 46:415–416

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. McKnight DJ, Marshall JM (1978) Catamenial pneumothorax and malignant hypertension. Can Anaesth Soc J 25:60–62

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. McSwain HT, Siebel EK (1964) A Spontaneous pneumothorax associated with menstruation or endometriosis. Read before the Annual Meeting of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association

  29. Minor A (1978) Recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax concurrent with menses (Letter to editor). Canad J Surg 21:382–383

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Mobbs GA, Pfanner DW (1963) Endometriosis of the lung. Lancet 1:472–474

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. NAPS document no. 03930, Micro Fiche Publications. PO Box 3513, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163

  32. Nicholson J (1951) Endometriosis of the pleura. Thorax 6:756

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Ripstin CB, Rohman M, Wallach JB (1959) Endometrosis involving the pleura. J Thorac Cardioavasc Surg 37:464–471

    Google Scholar 

  34. Rodman NH, Jones CW (1962) Catamenial hemoptysis due to bronchial endometriosis. N Engl J Med 255:805–808

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Rogers DPM, Saperstein MZ, Rosenfeld DL (1974) Catamenial pneumothorax. Am J Obstet Gynecol 118:572–575

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Rossi NP Goplerud CP (1974) Recurrent catamenial pneumothorax. Arch Surg 109:173–176

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Schwarz OH (1938) Endometriosis of the Lung. In the discussion of “Endometrosis, a Clinical and Surgical Review” by VS Counsellor. Am J Obstet Gynecol 36:887

    Google Scholar 

  38. Scurry D Jr, Press HC, Warner OG (1978) Recurrent pneumothorax. J Natl Med Assoc 70:363–364

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Shearin RP, Hepper NG, Payne WS (1974) Recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax concurrent with menses. Mayo Clin Proc 49:98–101

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Skobel P (1963) Diaphragmatic complications in endometriosis and Meigs syndrome. Z Tuberk 120:22

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Soderberg CH, Dahliquist EH (1976) Catamenial pneumothorax. Surgery 79:236–238

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Stern H, Toole Al, Merino M (1980) Catamenial pneumothorax. Chest 78:480–482

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Sturzenegger H (1960) Lingenendometriose unter dem bild jes Rundschattens. Schweiz Tuberk 17:259

    Google Scholar 

  44. Weldon, CS, Tumolty PA (1968) Recurrent pneumothorax associated with menstruation. John Hopkins Med J 123:259–263

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Wilhelm JL, Scommegna A (1977) Catamenial pneumothorax; bilateral occurrence while on suppressive therapy. Obstet Gynecol 50:227–231

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Williams JF, Williams JB, Hasper JW (1962) Thoracic endometriosis. Am J Obstet Gynecol 84:1512–1515

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Wingfield RC (1961) Chronic recurring spontaneous pneumothoraces associated with menstruation. MD State Med J 10:344–345

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Yamazaki S, Ogawa J, Koide S, Shohzu A, Osamura Y (1980) Catamenial pneumothorax associated with endometriosis of the diaphragm. Chest 77:107–109

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Yeh TJ (1967) Endometriosis within the thorax: metaplasia, implantation or metastasis? J Thorac Cardiovas Surg 53:201–205

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pulmonary Division, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, and North Central Bronx Hospital, USA

    Jill P. Karpel, David Appel & Avraham Merav

Authors
  1. Jill P. Karpel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. David Appel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Avraham Merav
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Karpel, J.P., Appel, D. & Merav, A. Pulmonary endometriosis. Lung 163, 151–159 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02713817

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02713817

Key words

Search

Navigation