What is endometriosis?
Under normal circumstances, endometrium covers the surface of cavity of uterine body. If the endometrium grows at other body structures, we call it endometriosis.
Endometriosis means the endometrium plants at other tissues instead of uterus. Usually, it grows at ovary and fallopian tube, in the pelvic cavity mostly. Under normal circumstances, endometrium sheds periodically, bleeding happens and menstruation formed. Endometrium outside of the uterus also sheds but has no way out, surrounding tissues develops symptoms of inflammation, edema and pain. For clinical treatment on endometriosis, medicines are primarily used to clear away heat and toxic material, in order to diminish inflammation; medicines also take effect of promoting blood circulation and dissolving stasis, to remove edema and pain.
Endometriosis probably results in fallopian tube distortion, blockage and adhesion, which cause infertility. Traditional Chinese medicine is applied in the endometriosis treatment to clear away heat and toxic materials, as well, promote blood circulation and dissolve stasis. Fallopian tube is unplugged and infertility is healed after the treatment.
Ectopic Ovary can be caused by endometriosis, leads to ovulation failure and inadequate luteal function, and infertility conduced; endometriosis is also accompanied with luteinized unruptured follicle syndrome (LUFS). The patients’ menstruation is regular, endometrium secretory phase changes. Ovary function is affected, which causes anovulation and leads to infertility.
Endometriosis causes and Pathology
1
Internal endometriosis. Endometrium grows from the basal zone to muscular layer, restricted in the uterus, also called adenomyosis. Ectopic endometrium usually disperses on the whole myometrium. Because of the endometrium invasion, fibrous tissue and muscle fiber overgrow, and lead to uterus’ irregular growth.
2
Interstitial endometrosis. After endometrium invades muscular layer, interstitial tissue’s growth range and degree develop far beyond gland component. Uterus enlarges, ectopic cells scatter in muscular layer or concentrate in certain area. Ectopic tissues probably develop into uterine cavity, form polypoid lump, or even expand from myometrium to uterine cavity, protrude along uterine blood vessels to the broad ligament. If the ectopic tissues protrude to uterine cavity, patient should have symptom of menorrhagia or bleeding after menopause. To cure such symptoms of endometriosis, the treatment contains a basic prescription of clearing away heat and toxic material, and promoting blood circulation and dissolving stasis. Certain recipes are added into the prescription for dissolving stasis and hemostasis, dispelling heat from blood to stop bleeding, regulating the menstrual function, and finally healing the endometrosis.
3
External endometriosis. Endometrium invades tissues or organs apart from uterus, usually impacts on a couple of organs or tissues. External endometriosis mostly attacks ovary, including uterosacral ligament, Douglas pouch anterior wall corresponding to posterior fornix, uterine cervix posterior wall corresponding to uterine cervix internal orifice. In some cases, the ectopic endometrium expands to anterior rectal wall, results in intestinal wall, uterine posterior wall and ovary adhesion. External endometriosis probably intrudes rectovaginal septum and forms scattered murrey dots or even cauliflower-like protrusion on posterior vaginal formix mucosa. Only by performing a biopsy, can endometriosis be identified in this case. As has been stated, ectopic endometrium may develop at many other areas, such as fallopian tube, cervix, vulva, appendix, umbilicus, incision of abdominal wall, hernial sac, bladder, lymphaden, and even pleura, pericardium, upper limbs, thigh, skin etc. All these sorts of
endometriosis can be expected to heal by traditional Chinese medicine.
Key words: endometriosis; pelvic inflammatory disease; endometriosis causes
