Adenomyosis in Pakistani women: four year experience at the Aga Khan University Medical Centre, Karachi

Adenomyosis in women undergoing hysterectomy for abnormal uterine bleeding associated with uterine leiomyomas

BACKGROUND

Uterine leiomyomas and adenomyosis are both common and often associated with abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB), including the symptom of heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB). Understanding the prevalence of adenomyosis in women with uterine leiomyomas could inform clinicians and patients in a way that may improve therapeutic approaches.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the prevalence of adenomyosis in a group of women who underwent hysterectomy for AUB-L, to determine the prevalence of submucous leiomyomas, and to examine the utility of preoperative ultrasound to detect the presence of adenomyosis.

METHODS

The Kaiser Permanente Hysterectomy Database (KPHD) was searched for women aged 18-52 undergoing hysterectomy for leiomyoma-associated chronic AUB (AUB-L) in 2018 and 2019. A target sample of 400 comprised those with at least 3 years in the Health System. Radiologists evaluated preoperative pelvic ultrasound images to determine leiomyoma size and level 2 FIGO type (submucous or other), and the linked electronic medical record abstracted for clinical features, including histopathological evidence of adenomyosis.

RESULTS

Of the 370 subjects that met the study criteria, adenomyosis was identified via histopathology in 170 (45.9%). There was no difference in the adenomyosis prevalence with (47.1%) and without (43.0%) at least one submucous leiomyoma. Subgroup analysis of ultrasound images by an expert radiologist for the presence of adenomyosis demonstrated a positive predictive value of 54.0% and a negative predictive value of 43.4%.

CONCLUSIONS

Adenomyosis was present in almost half of this AUB-L cohort undergoing hysterectomy and was equally prevalent in those with and without submucous leiomyomas as determined by sonographic evaluation. The imaging findings are in accord with prior investigators and demonstrate that 2-D ultrasound is insensitive to the presence of adenomyosis when the uterus is affected by leiomyomas. Further research is necessary to determine the impact of various adenomyosis phenotypes on the presence and severity of the symptom of HMB.

Classifying Adenomyosis: Progress and Challenges

Classically, the diagnosis of adenomyosis relied on histological examination of uteri following hysterectomy and classifications focused on the depth of endometrial invasion within the myometrium. There remain uncertainties around the cut-off point for the histological diagnosis. Imaging-based diagnosis enables recognition of the condition in women not undergoing surgery and facilitates the assessment of the extent of adenomyosis within the whole uterus, as well as of affections of the uterovesical pouch and of the pouch of Douglas. In this article, we explore the diagnostic uncertainties, the need to produce a classification of the condition and the challenges towards that goal. A distinction should be drawn between disease mapping and a classification that may link histological or image-based features with clinical characteristics, or with pathophysiology. An agreed system for reporting adenomyotic lesions may enable comparisons of research studies and thus contribute towards an informed classification. To this aim, we outline the features of the condition and explore the characteristics that are considered when producing a taxonomy. These include the latest proposal for subdivision of adenomyosis into an internal and an external variant. We also explore the uncertainties linked to classifying involvement of the uterovesical pouch, the pouch of Douglas and lesions in the outer myometrium. The limitations of currently available evidence suggest that agreement on a hypothesis to underpin a classification is unlikely at present. Therefore, current efforts will probably remain focused on disease mapping.

Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Endometrial Cancer and Adenomyosis

Simple Summary

Endometrial cancer (EC) reportedly have a better prognosis in patients with coexistent adenomyosis. It is possible to hypothesize that this difference may be attributable to different clinical profiles. On this account, we aimed to define the clinical profile of endometrial cancer (EC) patients with and without adenomyosis through a systematic review and meta-analysis. We included 8 studies with 5681 patients and found that EC women with adenomyosis were less likely to be nulliparous than EC women without adenomyosis, while no significant differences were found with regard to age, BMI, and premenopausal status.

Abstract

A better endometrial cancer (EC) prognosis in patients with coexistent adenomyosis has been reported. Unfortunately, it is still unclear if this better prognosis is related to a more favorable clinical profile of adenomyosis patients. We aimed to evaluate differences in the clinical profiles of EC patients with and without adenomyosis. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed by searching seven electronics databases for all studies that allowed extraction of data about clinical characteristics in EC patients with and without adenomyosis. Clinical characteristics assessed were: age, Body Mass Index (BMI), premenopausal status, and nulliparity. Mean difference in mean ± standard deviation (SD) or odds ratio (OR) for clinical characteristics between EC patients with and without adenomyosis were calculated for each included study and as a pooled estimate, and graphically reported on forest plots with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The Z test was used for assessing the overall effect by considering a p value < 0.05 as significant. Overall, eight studies with 5681 patients were included in the qualitative analysis, and seven studies with 4366 patients in the quantitative analysis. Pooled mean difference in mean ± SD between EC women with and without adenomyosis was −1.19 (95% CI: −3.18 to 0.80; p = 0.24) for age, and 0.23 (95% CI: −0.62 to 1.07; p = 0.60) for BMI. When compared to EC women without adenomyosis, EC women with adenomyosis showed a pooled OR of 1.53 (95% CI: 0.92 to 2.54; p = 0.10) for premenopausal status, and of 0.60 (95% CI: 0.41 to 0.87; p = 0.007) for nulliparity. In conclusion, there are not significant differences in clinical characteristics between EC patients with and without adenomyosis, with the exception for nulliparity. Clinical features seem to not underlie the better EC prognosis of patients with adenomyosis compared to patients without adenomyosis.

Diagnosing adenomyosis: an integrated clinical and imaging approach

BACKGROUND

Adenomyosis is a benign uterine disorder where endometrial glands and stroma are pathologically demonstrated within the uterine myometrium. The pathogenesis involves sex steroid hormone abnormalities, inflammation, fibrosis and neuroangiogenesis, even though the proposed mechanisms are not fully understood. For many years, adenomyosis has been considered a histopathological diagnosis made after hysterectomy, classically performed in perimenopausal women with abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) or pelvic pain. Until recently, adenomyosis was a clinically neglected condition. Nowadays, adenomyosis may also be diagnosed by non-invasive techniques, because of imaging advancements. Thus, a new epidemiological scenario has developed with an increasing number of women of reproductive age with ultrasound (US) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnosis of adenomyosis. This condition is associated with a wide variety of symptoms (pelvic pain, AUB and/or infertility), but it is also recognised that some women are asymptomatic. Furthermore, adenomyosis often coexists with other gynecological comorbidities, such as endometriosis and uterine fibroids, and the diagnostic criteria are still not universally agreed. Therefore, the diagnostic process for adenomyosis is challenging.

OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE

We present a comprehensive review on the diagnostic criteria of adenomyosis, including clinical signs and symptoms, ultrasound and MRI features and histopathological aspects of adenomyotic lesions. We also briefly summarise the relevant theories on adenomyosis pathogenesis, in order to provide the pathophysiological background to understand the different phenotypes and clinical presentation. The review highlights the controversies of multiple existing criteria, summarising all of the available evidences on adenomyosis diagnosis. The review aims also to underline the future perspective for diagnosis, stressing the importance of an integrated clinical and imaging approach, in order to identify this gynecological disease, so often underdiagnosed.

SEARCH METHODS

PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for all original and review articles related to diagnosis of adenomyosis published in English until October 2018.

OUTCOMES

The challenge in diagnosing adenomyosis starts with the controversies in the available pathogenic theories. The difficulties in understanding the way the disease arises and progresses have an impact also on the specific diagnostic criteria to use for a correct identification. Currently, the diagnosis of adenomyosis may be performed by non-invasive methods and the clinical signs and symptoms, despite their heterogeneity and poor specificity, may guide the clinician for a suspicion of the disease. Imaging techniques, including 2D and 3D US as well as MRI, allow the proper identification of the different phenotypes of adenomyosis (diffuse and/or focal). From a histological point of view, if the diagnosis of diffuse adenomyosis is straightforward, in more limited disease, the diagnosis has poor inter-observer reproducibility, leading to extreme variations in the prevalence of disease. Therefore, an integrated non-invasive diagnostic approach, considering risk factors profile, clinical symptoms, clinical examination and imaging, is proposed to adequately identify and characterise adenomyosis.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS

The development of the diagnostic tools allows the physicians to make an accurate diagnosis of adenomyosis by means of non-invasive techniques, representing a major breakthrough, in the light of the clinical consequences of this disease. Furthermore, this technological improvement will open a new epidemiological scenario, identifying different groups of women, with a dissimilar clinical and/or imaging phenotypes of adenomyosis, and this should be object of future research.

Epidemiology of Adenomyosis

Adenomyosis, characterized by the presence of endometrial glands and stroma within the myometrium, can have a substantial impact on the quality of women's lives. Despite this, the epidemiologic research on this condition lags considerably behind that of other noncancerous reproductive health conditions. The lack of progress and knowledge is due in part to the challenges in designing valid epidemiologic studies, since the diagnosis of adenomyosis historically has been limited to the examination of uterine specimens from hysterectomy. This review describes the available data on the frequency of this condition and the epidemiologic investigation thus far into the risk factors for disease-highlighting the methodologic and inference challenges primarily around study sample selection. We conclude with providing recommendations for approaches to future epidemiologic study that capitalize on the advancements in imaging technology to detect adenomyosis and provide a fuller picture of the occurrence and risk factors for disease.

Adenomyosis incidence, prevalence and treatment: United States population-based study 2006-2015

BACKGROUND

Adenomyosis symptoms are disabling. Population-based data on incidence and prevalence of adenomyosis are lacking that could guide future evidence-based treatments and clinical management.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the incidence, 10-year secular trends, and prevalence of adenomyosis diagnoses and to describe symptoms and treatment patterns in a large U.S. cohort.

STUDY DESIGN

We performed a retrospective population-based cohort study of women aged 16-60 years in 2006-2015, enrolled in Kaiser Permanente Washington, a mixed-model health insurance and care delivery system. Adenomyosis diagnoses identified by ICD codes from the International Classification of Diseases 9th and 10th editions and potential covariates were extracted from computerized databases. Women with prior hysterectomy, and for incidence estimates women with prior adenomyosis diagnoses, were excluded. Linear trends in incidence rates over the 10-year study period were evaluated using Poisson regression. Rates and trend tests were examined for all women adjusting for age using direct standardization to the 2015 study population, by age groups, and by race/ethnicity. Chart reviews were performed to validate diagnostic accuracy of ICD codes in identifying adenomyosis incidence. Symptoms and treatment patterns at diagnosis and in the following 5 years were assessed.

RESULTS

A total of 333,693 women contributed 1,185,855 woman-years (2006-2015) for incidence calculations. Associated symptom-related codes (menorrhagia or abnormal uterine bleeding, dysmenorrhea or pelvic pain, dyspareunia, and infertility) were observed in 90.8%; 18.0% had co-occurrent endometriosis codes and 47.6% had co-occurrent uterine fibroid codes. The overall adenomyosis incidence was 1.03% or 28.9 per 10,000 woman-years, with a high of 30.6 in 2007 and a low of 24.4 in 2014. Overall age-adjusted estimated incidence rates declined during the 10-year study interval (linear trend P < .05). Incidence was highest for women aged 41-45 years (69.1 per 10,000 woman-years in 2008) and was higher for black (highest 44.6 per 10,000 woman-years in 2011) vs white women (highest 27.9 per 10,000 woman-years in 2010). Overall prevalence in 2015 was 0.8% and was highest among women aged 41-45 years (1.5%). Among the 624 potential adenomyosis cases identified by diagnostic codes in 2012-2015 and with sufficient information in the medical record to determine true case status, 490 were confirmed as incident cases, yielding a 78.5% (95% confidence interval, 75.1%, 81.7%) positive predictive value of adenomyosis ICD-9/ICD-10 codes for identifying an incident adenomyosis case. Health care burden was substantial: 82.0% of women had hysterectomies, nearly 70% had imaging studies suggestive of adenomyosis, and 37.6% used chronic pain medications.

CONCLUSION

Adenomyosis burden to the individual and the health care system is high. Incidence rates are disproportionately high among black women. These findings are of concern, as currently available long-term medical therapies remain limited beyond hysterectomy. Our data and methodologies are novel and could serve as a foundation to guide clinicians and health care systems to develop clinical management plans and track outcomes for women with adenomyosis.

Coexistence of adenomyosis, adenocarcinoma, endometrial and myometrial lesions in resected uterine specimens

The present study was conducted to identify endometrial and myometrial lesions coexisting with adenomyosis, and to evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics of endometrial adenocarcinomas associated with adenomyosis. A retrospective analysis of the resected uterine specimens of 319 patients with adenomyosis admitted between January 1, 2014 and August 1, 2017 was performed. The endometrial and myometrial lesions coexisting with adenomyosis were evaluated. The clinicopathological prognostic factors, including tumor grade, myometrial invasion, lymphovascular space involvement, lymph node invasion, pathological stage and recurrence, were analysed. For data analysis, the Chi-squared test was used and a P-value of <0.05 was considered to indicate statistically significant differences. The mean age of the patients was 52.1 years. A total of 32 patients had endometrial carcinoma associated with adenomyosis. In addition to endometrioid adenocarcinoma of different grades, rare clear cell carcinoma cases were also observed. Two cases of malignant mesenchymal tumors (one low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma and one leiomyosarcoma) were also diagnosed. Therefore, patients presenting with abnormal uterine bleeding should undergo thorough evaluation for the presence of adenomyosis and/or leiomyoma(s). Although the cases of endometrial adenocarcinoma associated with adenomyosis generally had a good prognostic outcome, there were also rare cases of patients with agressive tumor morphology. The inflammatory and tissue response arising around the foci of adenomyosis generate a preventive mechanism against the invasion of adenocarcinomas coexisting with adenomyosis. This response is likely the primary mechanism underlying the good clinical course of these tumors. Therefore, the presence of adenomyosis may be an important factor for the determination of prognosis.

Role of benign ovarian cysts in the development of adenomyosis

OBJECTIVES

To assess the association of adenomyotic foci with co-existing benign ovarian cysts. 

METHODS

This prospective cross-sectional study consisted of 100 consecutive hysterectomy specimens referred to Histopathology Section of Pathology Department, Peshawar Medical College, Peshawar, Pakistan by its attached teaching hospitals from January 2011 to December 2012. Hematoxylin and eosin stained sections were examined for adenomyotic foci and the presence of co-existent ovarian cysts. For evaluation of estrogen receptor (ER) status immunohistochemical stains were applied and H-scoring system was used with a score greater than 50 as positive. 

RESULTS

Out of the 100 hysterectomy specimens, 25 cases had both adenomyosis and ovarian cysts. The ER status of adenomyotic foci was positive in 20% cases and negative in 80% cases. The commonest type of ovarian cyst was hemorrhagic luteal cyst (28%), followed by serous and mucinous cystadenoma (20%) each. Out of the 28% cases of functional cysts, 71.5% were ER positive and 28.5% were ER negative. The p-value for association of ER status of adenomyotic foci with functional cysts was 0.0004; however, p-value was not significant in comparing cases with controls. All 72% cases of nonfunctional cysts were ER negative. However, 44% of functional cysts were not associated with adenomyotic foci.  

CONCLUSION

This study concludes that besides functional ovarian cysts, other local factors may be responsible for the development of adenomyosis.

Adenomyosis: a life-cycle approach

The life-cycle approach to endometriosis highlighted unexpected features of the condition; the same approach was therefore applied to gain insight into the clinical features of adenomyosis and to draw a comparison with endometriosis. This is possible today thanks to new imaging techniques enabling non-invasive diagnosis of adenomyosis. The specificity and sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging and transvaginal ultrasound remain uncertain. Unlike endometriosis, little information is available on the presence of classic adenomyosis in adolescents, except for rare cystic forms that may not represent the true disease. Adenomyosis is most likely to affect adult women, although most reported incidences are still based on post-hysterectomy studies, and are affected by diligence in histopathologic diagnosis and the adopted cut-off point. The traditionally accepted associations of adult adenomyosis, such as multiparity, a link to infertility and its effect on pregnancy are uncertain. Active adenomyosis has been found in pre- and peri-menopausal women and in postmenopausal women receiving tamoxifen. In conclusion, major diagnostic limitations and the systematic bias of hysterectomy make it difficult to draw firm conclusions from existing evidence. In addition, no information is available on the natural history of adenomyosis and no study has systematically evaluated its existence in adolescents.

Adenomyosis: Epidemiology, Risk Factors, Clinical Phenotype and Surgical and Interventional Alternatives to Hysterectomy

Adenomyosis is an important clinical challenge in gynecology and healthcare economics; in its fully developed form, hysterectomy is often used to treat it in premenopausal and perimenopausal women. Symptoms of adenomyosis typically include menorrhagia, pelvic pain and dysmenorrhea. Moreover, adenomyosis and leiomyomas commonly coexist in the same uterus, and differentiating the symptoms for each pathological process can be problematic. Although it has been recognized for over a century, reliable epidemiological studies on this condition are limited, because only postoperative diagnoses were possible in the past. Minimally invasive surgical techniques (endometrial ablation/resection, myometrial excision/reduction, myometrial electrocoagulation, uterine artery ligation) have had limited success in the treatment of adenomyosis, and the reported data for these procedures have been obtained from case reports or small case series with only short follow-up times. However, newer techniques including uterine artery embolization (UAE) and magnetic resonance imaging guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) show promise in treating adenomyosis. The data is strongest for UAE; these studies have the largest patient cohorts. However, none of the UAE studies were randomized or controlled. Thus, despite the clinical importance of adenomyosis, there is little evidence on which to base treatment decisions. The objective of this review is to summarize the epidemiology, risk factors, clinical phenotype and to evaluate the accrued experience with surgical and interventional alternatives to hysterectomy.

Adenomyosis within a uterine septum in a patient with secondary infertility

BACKGROUND

Adenomyosis is a benign infiltration of endometrial stroma and glands into the myometrium. Until the advent and advancement of imaging techniques such as transvaginal ultrasound scan (TVUS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the diagnosis of adenomyosis could only be made with confidence using histology following hysterectomy.

CASE

The patient is a 37-year-old woman, with a long history of secondary infertility. A hysterosalpingogram (HSG) and a pelvic MRI showed two separate uterine cavities. The patient underwent laparoscopy and hysteroscopy revealing a bicornuate appearance of the uterus and a uterine septum. Resection of the septum showed adenomyosis on histologic examination.

COMMENT

Adenomyosis of uterine septum should be considered if MRI shows features of adenomyosis elsewhere in the uterus with thickened junctional zone. Further research is needed to investigate this association with the pathogenesis of adenomyosis.

A case-control investigation of adenomyosis: impact of control group selection on risk factor strength

OBJECTIVE

Using a medical record abstraction-based case-control study with two control groups, we evaluated adenomyosis risk factors and investigated differences related to comparison group selection.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Medical records of all female 18- to 49-year-old Group Health (GH) enrollees with ICD-9 code 617.0 were abstracted using a standard data collection form. Cases were enrollees diagnosed with adenomyosis (n = 174) between April 1996 and September 2001. For comparison, medical records of two control groups were selected from the GH population: An age-matched sample of female enrollees (population-based controls; n = 149) and all female 18- to 49-year-old enrollees undergoing a hysterectomy (hysterectomy controls; n = 106) during the same time without adenomyosis. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using logistic regression, adjusted for identified covariates.

RESULTS

Compared with normal and underweight women, overweight and obese women had increased adenomyosis risk using hysterectomy controls (OR, 2.2, 95% CI, 1.0-4.5; obese: OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.1-4.3) and population controls (overweight: OR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.2-4.0; obese: OR, 3.8; 95% CI, 2.0-7.0). Using population controls, women with at least one live birth were more likely to have adenomyosis than nulliparous women (OR, 3.4; 95% CI, 1.9-6.2).

CONCLUSION

Although some risk factors persisted in analyses using either control group, divergent results in relation to other risk factors for adenomyosis suggest that results of investigations of this disease may be affected by the choice of the comparison population.

Characteristics indicating adenomyosis coexisting with leiomyomas: a case-control study

BACKGROUND

Adenomyosis is rarely diagnosed before hysterectomy and commonly coexists with uterine leiomyomas. The objective of this study was to identify distinct features of a concurrent diagnosis of adenomyosis in women with uterine leiomyomas.

METHODS

We conducted a case-control study of women undergoing hysterectomy with a histologic diagnosis of both adenomyosis and leiomyomas and women with uterine leiomyomas but no adenomyosis. A retrospective medical record review of hospital and ambulatory records was performed to ascertain sociodemographic and anthropometric variables, as well as to confirm intraoperative and pathologic findings.

RESULTS

Our study sample comprised 255 patients, 85 women with adenomyosis and leiomyomas and 170 women with only leiomyomas. In multivariable logistic regression analyses, women with adenomyosis and leiomyomas were more likely to have more pelvic pain [odds ratio (OR) 3.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.8-6.4], have less fibroid burden (OR per doubling in fibroid size 0.6, 95% CI 0.5-0.8), were more likely to be parous (OR 3.8, 95% CI 1.4-10.5) and have lower body mass index (OR per 5 unit increase in BMI 0.8, 95% CI 0.6-1.0) when compared with women with leiomyomas alone.

CONCLUSIONS

Women undergoing hysterectomy with both adenomyosis and leiomyomas have a number of different clinical features compared with women with only leiomyomas at the time of hysterectomy. Women with substantial pain despite a smaller fibroid burden may be more likely to have concomitant adenomyosis.

Vascular endothelial growth factor gene polymorphisms are associated with the risk of developing adenomyosis

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a major mediator of angiogenesis and vascular permeability, may play a key role in the development of adenomyosis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether these four VEGF polymorphisms (-2578C/A, -1154G/A, -460C/T, and +936C/T) were associated with the risk of adenomyosis development. Genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay in 174 adenomyosis patients and 199 frequency-matched control women. There were significant differences between patients and control group in allele frequencies and genotype distributions of the -2578C/A polymorphisms (P = 0.010 and 0.044, respectively). Compared with the C/C genotype, the A/A + C/A genotype could significantly modify the risk of developing adenomyosis [odds ratio (OR) = 0.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.42-0.97]. For the -1154G/A polymorphism, the allele frequencies and genotype distributions in patient group were significant different from those of the controls (P = 0.001 and 0.007, respectively). Compared with the G/G genotype, the A/A + G/A genotype could significantly decrease the risk of developing adenomyosis (OR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.33-0.80). However, the genotype distributions and allele frequencies of the -460C/T and +936C/T polymorphisms did not significantly differ between controls and patients (all P value > 0.05). The haplotype analysis suggested that the TGA (VEGF -460/-1154/-2578) and CGA haplotypes exhibited a significant decrease in the risk of developing adenomyosis compared with the haplotype of TGC (OR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.41-1.00; OR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.21-0.93, respectively). The study indicated that the -2578A or -1154A allele of VEGF gene could significantly decrease the risk of adenomyosis and might be potentially protective factors for adenomyosis development.

Polymorphisms in the matrix metalloproteinase-2 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 and the risk of human adenomyosis

The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) may contribute to the development of adenomyosis. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the promoter regions of MMP-2 (-1306C/T and -735C/T) and TIMP-2 (-418G/C) genes were related to the risk of adenomyosis development. Genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay in 180 adenomyosis patients and 324 frequency-matched control women in a Chinese population. There were significant differences in allele frequencies and genotype distributions of the MMP-2 -1306C/T polymorphism between patients and control women (P = 0.01 and 0.04, respectively). The frequency of C allele in patients (92.2%) was significantly higher than in the controls (87.0%) (P = 0.01). Compared with the C/T+T/T genotypes, the C/C genotype could significantly increase the risk of adenomyosis development, with an odds ratio of 1.83 (95% CI = 1.13-2.96). However, no statistically significant difference was found in allele frequencies and genotype distributions of MMP-2 -735C/T and TIMP-2 -418G/C SNPs between the two groups (all P values > 0.05). Two polymorphisms of MMP-2 displayed linkage disequilibrium (D' = 0.74). The haplotype analysis suggested no significant association of four haplotypes with the risk of adenomyosis development. Our results indicated an association of MMP-2 -1306C/T polymorphism with the risk of adenomyosis, suggesting a potential role in adenomyosis development in North Chinese women.

Adenomyosis a variant, not a disease? Evidence from hysterectomized menopausal women in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN)

OBJECTIVE

Our study evaluates the symptoms commonly attributed to adenomyosis in women undergoing the menopausal transition. We hypothesized that adenomyosis is more commonly seen in women with fibroids, pelvic pain, abnormal uterine bleeding, and in the presence of endometriosis.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort.

SETTING

Multisite community-based study.

PATIENT(S)

Enrollees in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation who had hysterectomies.

INTERVENTION(S)

None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Relationship of adenomyosis to presenting symptoms and other patient characteristics.

RESULT(S)

Adenomyosis was found in 48% of 137 patients. Frequencies of presenting symptoms were similar in those with and without evidence of adenomyosis. The same prevalence of fibroids was seen in the presence or absence of adenomyosis: 37% versus 43%, endometriosis, 3% versus 5%, abnormal bleeding, 27% versus 33%, or chronic pelvic pain in the presence of fibroids 12% versus 17%.

CONCLUSION(S)

Adenomyosis is a common diagnosis seen in hysterectomized specimens from women undergoing the perimenopausal transition. Adenomyosis is equally common in women who also have fibroids, endometriosis, pelvic pain, or abnormal uterine bleeding, and women who do not. Therefore, adenomyosis is an incidental finding, not the source of the symptomatology. It appears not to be a "disease" per se but rather a normal variant.

Adenomyosis: epidemiological factors

Epidemiological studies of adenomyosis are difficult to interpret because the diagnostic criteria vary so widely that the disease may be easily over-diagnosed. This would severely hamper any attempt to define incidence and prevalence of the condition and the related risk factors, and would limit the possibility of clarifying to what extent adenomyosis contributes to clinical symptoms. There is a need for stringent and widely accepted diagnostic criteria in order to define not only the presence of adenomyosis but also depth of penetration and degree of spread of foci. Moreover, the evidence available on epidemiological characteristics of women with adenomyosis is greatly biased by the type of population studied, i.e. women undergoing hysterectomy. Therefore, a consensus on non-surgical diagnostic criteria at transvaginal ultrasonography and MRI is indispensable and urgently needed in order to be able to conduct epidemiological studies in women younger than those evaluated until now.

Prevalence and risk factors of adenomyosis at hysterectomy

BACKGROUND

The present study was performed to evaluate the prevalence and possible associated risk factors for adenomyosis.

METHODS

Medical records were retrieved and histo-pathological material re-examined for 549 consecutive women undergoing hysterectomy in a two-year period from 1990-1991.

RESULTS

The prevalence of adenomyosis in the study varied from 10.0-18.2%, depending on different diagnostic criteria. The presence of endometrial hyperplasia at the time of hysterectomy was the only variable significantly associated with adenomyosis (OR = 3.0; 95% CI: 1.2-8.3). No statistically significant association was found between adenomyosis and previous caesarean section, endometrial curettage or evacuation of the uterus. Furthermore, we did not see any significant association between adenomyosis and pain-related symptoms, indication for hysterectomy, age, parity or number of myometrial samples.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study stresses the need for precise diagnostic criteria for adenomyosis, and furthermore indicates that endometrial hyperplasia and adenomyosis may have a common aetiology.

The prevalence of adenomyosis and endometriosis in an ultra-religious Jewish population

In view of increasing incidence of adenomyosis and endometriosis reported in recent years, we evaluated the incidence of these disorders in a unique ultra-orthodox Jewish population over the past 20 years by reviewing 1,434 hysterectomy specimens. The incidence of adenomyosis among the hysterectomy specimens decreased from 15.14% in the first 10 years of the period studied, to 9.24% in the second decade (p < 0.05). The incidence of endometriosis remained unchanged, and was very low (1.12%) compared to published data. Our findings highlight the possible effects of heredity, religious and social behavior on the etiology of endometriosis.

The extent and clinical significance of adenomyotic lesions in the uterine wall. A quantitative assessment

This report presents an attempt to assess quantitatively the extent of adenomyotic lesions in hysterectomy specimens from women with symptoms suggesting adenomyosis (n = 14) and from women operated on for other reasons (n = 12). The specimens were cut into 5 mm-thick slices in which adenomyotic lesions were localized and counted microscopically. Nineteen uteri contained from 1 to 890 lesions. The distribution of lesions was mostly focal and patchy. More than half of the cases with adenomyotic lesions would have remained unrecognized if only the slice from the axial plane had been examined. Seventy-two per cent of the lesions were found in the posterior wall. Leiomyomas were found in 68% of the uteri with adenomyotic lesions. As adenomyotic lesions were observed with equal frequency in patients with and without pelvic pain, and as the degree of adenomyotic involvement did not correlate with complaints of pain, the significance of adenomyotic lesions as a cause of gynecological symptoms may be questioned.