Cutaneous endometriosis

INTRODUCTION: Cutaneous or subcutaneous endometriosis is a rare entity that is an often overlooked because of chronic abdominal pain. METHODS: We reviewed the ten cases of cutaneous endometriosis that presented to this hospital over a seven-year period. RESULTS: The mean age of patients at presentation was 36.3 years. All our patients presented with cyclical abdominal pain. There was a considerable delay in the diagnosis and offer of treatment, the mean length of time between onset of symptoms to surgery being 31.7 months (range 1-62 months). The onset was spontaneous in 40 percent of our patients and the rest had scar endometriosis. The patients with spontaneous onset of disease had a more severe pelvic disease compared to those with scar endometriosis. Complete surgical excision was curative but left a large defect requiring polypropylene mesh repair in two patients. CONCLUSION: Cutaneous endometriosis should be suspected in any female presenting with cyclic or non-cyclic pain emanating from a mass in the vicinity of a previous surgical scar, the umbilicus or in the inguinal region. Surgical excision of the cutaneous endometriotic implants can be easily performed and is curative.