Abstract
To study the relationship between endometriosis and ovulatory dysfunction, we induced ovarian endometriosis in the rabbit model. Adipose tissue was placed in the contralateral ovary as a control. Ovulation was induced with human chorionic gonadotropin, and ovulation points were counted before and after induction of endometriosis. Periovarian adhesions were graded, and ovaries were histologically examined. A significant decrease in the number of ovulation points was observed in ovaries with endometrial tissue (p = 0.001) but not in ovaries that contained adipose tissue (p = 0.095). Periovarian adhesions decreased the number of ovulation points (p < 0.01) in ovaries that contained adipose or endometrial tissues. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that an increase in adhesion severity was correlated with a decrease in the number of ovulation points (p < 0.05), but endometrial tissue was not (p = 0.45). We conclude that, in the rabbit model, minimal ovarian endometriosis impairs ovulation primarily through a mechanism related to periovarian adhesions.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 40-44 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology |
| Volume | 160 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1989 |
Keywords
- Ovarian endometriosis
- adhesions
- ovulation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Obstetrics and Gynecology