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Pathologic Characteristics of Bowel Endometriosis

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Clinical Management of Bowel Endometriosis

Abstract

The term “bowel endometriosis” should be used when endometrial-like glands and stroma infiltrate the bowel wall reaching at least the muscularis propria; endometriotic lesions infiltrating only the intestinal serosa should be considered peritoneal endometriosis. Because of the fibrosis present within the muscularis propria, bowel endometriosis causes wall thickening associated to luminal stenosis; smooth muscle hyperplasia is often present. Endometriosis can seldom produce pseudopolyps bulging into the visceral lumen.

Bowel endometriotic foci may develop as a single main mass with small satellite lesions (multifocal disease) it or as multiple isolated nodules located in different bowel segments (multicentric disease). The histopathological appearance of bowel endometriosis is usually similar to that of other sites (endometrioid glands surrounded by stromal cells). The histological diagnosis of endometriosis is routinely accomplished on hematoxylin-eosin-stained sections; an immunohistochemical staining (cytokeratin 7, CA 125, CD10, PAX8, and steroid hormones receptors) may be used to confirm the diagnosis in unusual sites.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Integrated Surgical and Diagnostic Sciences (DISC), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy

    Valerio Gaetano Vellone, Chiara Maria Biatta, Michele Paudice & Giulia Scaglione

  2. Pathology Academic Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy

    Valerio Gaetano Vellone

  3. Academic Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy

    Fabio Barra & Simone Ferrero

  4. Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DiNOGMI), University of Genova, Genova, Italy

    Fabio Barra & Simone Ferrero

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  1. Valerio Gaetano Vellone
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  2. Chiara Maria Biatta
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Correspondence to Valerio Gaetano Vellone .

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  1. Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DiNOGMI), University of Genova, Genova, Italy

    Simone Ferrero

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Gynecologic Oncology and Minimally-Invasive Pelvic Surgery, International School of Surgical Anatomy, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar di Valpolicella, Verona, Italy

    Marcello Ceccaroni

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Vellone, V.G., Biatta, C.M., Paudice, M., Barra, F., Ferrero, S., Scaglione, G. (2020). Pathologic Characteristics of Bowel Endometriosis. In: Ferrero, S., Ceccaroni, M. (eds) Clinical Management of Bowel Endometriosis. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50446-5_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50446-5_3

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