Advances in the medical treatment of adolescent endometriosis

• Published in: Minerva pediatrics Vol. 75; no. 3; p. 423
• Main Authors: Yang, Li, Yu, Jinfen, Zhang, Shuang, Zhang, Jianya
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Italy 01.06.2023
• Subjects: Adolescent; Dysmenorrhea - complications; Endometriosis - complications; Endometriosis - diagnosis; Endometriosis - drug therapy; Female; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone - therapeutic use; Hormone Antagonists - therapeutic use; Humans; Quality of Life
• ISSN: 2724-5780
• DOI: 10.23736/S2724-5276.21.06375-8

Endometriosis is defined as the presence of endometrial glands and stroma outside the uterus. Adolescent endometriosis is often confined to the pelvic cavity and is a common cause of secondary dysmenorrhea in adolescents. Adolescent endometriosis is often with delayed diagnosis. Early diagnosis and intervention can prevent the damage of pelvic structure and ovarian tissue and reduce the incidence of adhesion and infertility. Adolescent endometriosis can be diagnosed and treated by laparoscopic biopsy. There are many kinds of drugs to treat endometriosis, such as NSAIDs, progesterone, selective progesterone receptor antagonists, GnRH-a, gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonists, aromatase inhibitors, dopamine agonists, angiogenesis inhibitors, vegetable drugs, traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions. Future treatment options, including Future treatment options include CTZ, vitamin D3, oxytocin receptor inhibitors, melatonin, doxycycline, bevacizumab, curcumin, isotretinoin, and rosiglitazone, etc., can inhibit ectopic lesions. This article mainly summarizes advances in medical treatment underlying adolescent endometriosis and provides guidance for the early clinical diagnosis and intervention of adolescent endometriosis, to improve the quality of life of patients and reduce adverse outcomes.