| The endometrium is the portion of the uterus that lines the inside of the endometrial cavity. Normally, this lining sloughs off every month and becomes part of the menstrual flow. In some woman due to unknown factors, similar tissue can also grow outside the uterus, elsewhere in the pelvis, ovaries and fallopian tubes. This "endometrial tissue" divides rapidly on the lining of the uterus as the endometrium becomes more vascular and thicker to support a developing  embryo.
Unfortunately, endometriosis retains it capacity to divide and grow rapidly when attached to other organs such as the ovaries or fallopian tubes. It's growth is directly supported by the hormone estrogen.
Endometriosis can lead to both infertility and/or pelvic pain. Endometriosis can cause severe damage to the fallopian tubes in some cases causing complete blockage.
Rarely, endometriosis can occur elsewhere in the abdomen or even outside the abdominal cavity. Endometriosis has been found in distant organs such as the lungs and brain. If you have a female relative with endometriosis, you may be more likely to develop the condition.
The association of endometriosis with infertility has long been recognized. Studies suggest that over one quarter of infertile woman have endometriosis and that over one third of women with endometriosis have infertility. Furthermore, over half of women with both pelvic pain and painful periods are found to have endometriosis.
Endometriosis is definitively diagnosed at the time of laparoscopy. If found it can be vaporized using the laser, surgically excised, and/or ablated with electrocautery. Studies in woman with more advanced stages of endometriosis have demonstrated that surgery with restoration of pelvic anatomy significantly improves pregnancy rates. Surgical treatment of endometriosis also significantly or completely eliminates pelvic pain in approximately two thirds of patients with pelvic pain due to endometriosis.
Endometriosis is also treated by the drug Lupron. Lupron interferes with the production of estrogen those lowering its levels and slowing, or stopping, endometrial growth.
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