New perspectives for the treatment of endometriosis

Endometriosis is a chronic condition characterized by growth of endometrial tissue outside the utero. Common symptoms include dysmenorrhoea, dyspareunia, non-cyclic pelvic pain, and infertility. Endometriosis is often treated surgically upon diagnosis but with a higher rate of recurrence, suggesting that a combination of surgical and medical management might provide better outcomes. The primary goal of medical treatment is to interrupt the growth and activity of endometriosis lesions. Due to the chronic nature of this disease, long-term or repeated courses of medication may be required to control symptoms. Increasing knowledge about the pathogenesis of endometriosis at the cellular and molecular levels may give us the opportunity to use new, specific agents for treatment, including aromatase inhibitors, and new pharmaceutical agents affecting inflammation, oxidative stress, proliferation, angiogenesis and apoptosis. Many of these promising new agents may prevent or inhibit the development of endometriosis.