Current Place of GnRH-Analogues in The Medical Therapies of Endometriosis With Special Reference to Postoperative Treatment

Abstract

Endometriosis remains a disorder which is difficult to diagnose and to treat. It is often a progressive disease and always threatens to impair patient's fertility. It is for this reason that management is primarily dictated by the patients' hopes for permanent pain relieve and/or future pregnancies. We know the frequency of endo- metriosis in special groups (Fig. 1) but the true incidence in the female population is unknown and estimated with 8%-12% and the disease accounts for 10% to 20% of all female infertility. Although the disease has been studied for decades, the hormonal requirements or its initiation and maintenance are not fully understood. It is known that hormones secreted by the ovaries are needed for the establishment or continued presence of endometriosis because the disorder occurs only after the onset of puberty and normally disappears after meno pause. Estrogen supports the growth of ectopic endometrial tissue.