Surgery and the use of drugs provided reduced pain scores in patients with endometriosis but nevertheless exhibit disadvantages , such as risk of recurrence and side effects , respectively .
However , improved quality of life in these patients has been obtained with the use of conventional treatment
Endometriosis is a chronic gynecological disease characterized by sustained painful symptoms that are responsible for a decline in the quality of life of sufferers .
Conventional treatment includes surgical and pharmacological therapy aim ing at reducing painful symptoms .
This study aim ed to evaluate pain levels in women with endometriosis , focusing on the influence of conventional treatment in controlling this variable .
Treatment of endometriosis is , therefore , a challenge for gynecologists and patients , as they must select the best therapeutic approach for this disease .
Letrozole and norethisterone acetate in colorectal endometriosis.
OBJECTIVE Up to now limited attention has been given to the medical treatment of bowel endometriosis . This study evaluates the efficacy of aromatase inhibitors and norethisterone acetate in treating pain and gastrointestinal symptoms caused by bowel endometriosis . STUDY DESIGN This prospect i ve pilot study included six women with colorectal endometriosis ; all women had intestinal nodules infiltrating at least the muscularis propria of the bowel and did not have a stenosis of the bowel lumen > 60 % ; the patients suffered from pain and intestinal symptoms . The study subjects received letrozole ( 2.5 mg/day ) and norethisterone acetate ( 2.5 mg/day ) continuously for 6 months . The presence and intensity of symptoms were evaluated before starting the treatment , and after 3 and 6 months of treatment . RESULTS The double-drug regimen improved pain , non-menstrual pelvic pain , deep dyspareunia , dyschezia , symptoms mimicking diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome , intestinal cramping , abdominal bloating and passage of mucus in the stools , and 67 % of the patients declared that the treatment improved their gastrointestinal symptoms . CONCLUSIONS The administration of letrozole and norethisterone acetate reduces pain and gastrointestinal symptoms of women with colorectal endometriosis , particularly when patients suffer from symptoms mimicking diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome
Surgery and the use of drugs provided reduced pain scores in patients with endometriosis but nevertheless exhibit disadvantages , such as risk of recurrence and side effects , respectively .
However , improved quality of life in these patients has been obtained with the use of conventional treatment
Endometriosis is a chronic gynecological disease characterized by sustained painful symptoms that are responsible for a decline in the quality of life of sufferers .
Conventional treatment includes surgical and pharmacological therapy aim ing at reducing painful symptoms .
This study aim ed to evaluate pain levels in women with endometriosis , focusing on the influence of conventional treatment in controlling this variable .
Treatment of endometriosis is , therefore , a challenge for gynecologists and patients , as they must select the best therapeutic approach for this disease .