Endometriosis is non-malignant and occurs when endometrial cells, normally found only on the inside of the uterus (endometrium), become embedded in locations outside the uterus.
Typically, endometriosis occurs in the organs of the female reproductive system, on the ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus. Other typical sites for endometriosis within the female reproductive system include the vagina, cervix, vulva and ligaments that support the uterus and urinary tract.
Information on endometriosis issued by the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics confirms that endometriosis may also occur outside the pelvis, ovaries, uterus and fallopian tubes. Endometriosis can also be found in the intestines and rectum, appendix, diaphragm, lungs, thigh, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, surgical scars, and musculoskeletal and neural systems.
Heredity is a known risk factor. A woman who has a mother or sister with endometriosis is six times more likely to develop endometriosis, compared with the general population. Other risk factors for endometriosis include:
Early Information on Endometriosis Although endometriosis was first identified in the seventeenth century, it wasn't until the late 1920s that the contemporary theory of its cause was born. According to R.F. Valle (International Journal of Gynecology
Although endometriosis was first identified in the seventeenth century, it wasn't until the late 1920s that the contemporary theory of its cause was born. According to R.F. Valle (International Journal of Gynecology
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