Abstract

Background: The clinical manifestations of endometriosis are infertility, dysmenorrhea, sexuality disturbances, and chronic pelvic pain. It is the cause of 30 to 50% of infertility cases. In developed countries, the prevalence of endometriosis among women undergoing surgical sterilization is approximately 6%. Aim: To determine the prevalence of endometriosis among women with proven fertility in Santiago de Chile. Material and Methods: Review of surgical protocols of 287 women aged 25 to 49 years, subjected to a surgical sterilization between 2007 and 2011. Results: Endometriosis was found in 14 of the 287 women (4.9%). In spite of being asymptomatic, five of the 14 women with endometriosis were classified as severe, due to the presence of at least one endometrioma. In order of frequency, the most commonly affected anatomical sites were the ovary, the peritoneum, the posterior cul-de-sac and uterosacral ligaments. Conclusions: Our findings are very similar to those found elsewhere and suggest that fertile women could better tolerate endometriosis than their infertile counterparts.