Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Endometriosis

Background: Endometriosis is frequently associated with gastrointestinal symptoms, in addition to dysmenorrhoea, dyspareunia and infertility. Gastrointestinal tract is not always involved when gastrointestinal symptoms are present. Method: A cross sectional study was conducted in the department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) on 55 infertile women with surgical diagnosis of endometriosis with the objective to determine the frequency of gastrointestinal symptoms in our population of women with endometriosis and to find out whether they were relevant to severity of endometriosis. Results: There was a high prevalence (37.5%) of gastrointestinal symptoms in women with endometriosis. Bloating was the most frequent gastrointestinal symptom. Among the women with severe stage IV endometriosis, 57.6% had gastrointestinal symptoms. Conclusion: A gynecologist must consider the gastrointestinal symptoms while dealing with the women with endometriosis. Further evaluation of gastrointestinal tract involvement is necessary for counseling and comprehensive management of the women with endometriosis.