†These authors contributed equally.
Introduction: The infiltration pattern of endometriosis is one of the
most important pathophysiological features of this lesion. Recent studies
indicate the infiltrating nature of endometriosis is associated with a lesion’s
genetic characteristics. However, related research regarding abdominal wall
endometriosis (AWE) is limited. The aim of this study is to investigate whether
AWE lesions with different infiltrating depth have different
clinical and pathological features. Material and methods: A
retrospective review of all cases of surgically excised AWE from 2001 to 2018 was
performed from the records at Dalian Medical University and its affiliated
hospitals. Descriptive data were collected and analyzed. Hematoxylin-eosin
stained (H&E) slides were re-evaluated by pathologists for the density of
ectopic endometrial glands (DOG). Results: Ninety-one cases were
included in this study. Cases were divided into three types according to the
depth of infiltration of the lesion: the fascia type (38 cases), the muscle type
(40 cases) and the peritonieum type (13 cases). The primary analysis showed that
mass size (P = 0.009), serum CA125 levels (P = 0.04) and
operation time (P = 0.02) were significantly different among the three
groups. Analysis showed that the diameter of the lesion was positively correlated
with the infiltrating depth of the lesion, as well as the level of serum CA125
and the operation time. Even for lesions larger than 3 cm, serum CA125 levels and
operation time still showed positive correlation with the lesion diameter
(P = 0.02 and P