Abstract:

Objective：To discuss the therapy for ureteral endometriosis. Methods: The clinical data of 25 cases of histopathologically confirmed ureteral endometriosis during 2001－2015 were retrospectively analyxed.  Results: In the 25 cases, all the patients took urinary ultrasound for examination before surgery, of whom 21 (84%)  were examined by CT and 5 (20%) by MRI. Three (12%) cases underwent preoperative KUB and intravenous pyelogram (IVP) examination. Four (16%) cases were examined by retrograde pyelography before surgery. Eight (32%) of them took cystoscope for examination and 11 (44%)  took preoperative radionuclide renal dynamic imaging examination. All of these cases were affec-ted with unilateral ureter, 13 (52%) in the right and 12 (48%) in the left. The ureter lesions were at the upper part in 21 (84%) cases and at the middle part in 4 (16%) cases. In these cases, 11 (44%) received partial ureteral resection and end-to-end ureteral anastomosis, 10 (40%) received partial ureteral resection and ureterocystoneostomy, 3 (12%) received retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephroureterectomy, and 1 (4%) received endoscopic resection of ureteral endometriosis lesion. All of these cases were confirmed with ureteral endometriosis by post-surgery pathology results, with the expression of CA125 and ER in the glandular tissue and expression of PR in the mesenchymal tissue inside the ureteral muscle detected by immunohistochemistry. Four (16%) cases took postoperative adjuvant hormonal therapy. And no recurrence was found among 16 (64%) cases with the successful follow-up which ranged from 3 to 76 months and the median follow up was 28 months. Fifteen cases were submitted to the follow-up by urinary ultrasound (93.8%) and 5 (31.3%) underwent CT for examination. All the cases relieved from hydronephrosis, and symptoms of 10 (63.5) cases disappeared. The cases with double-J stent all had the stent removed within 3 to 6 weeks. Conclusion: Surgical procedures should be considered as the main therapy for ureteral endometriosis. We recommend ureterolysis for patients with mild ureteral obstruction and hydronephrosis. As for those with moderate and severe ureteral obstruction and hydronephrosis, we recommend partial ureteral resection. When the situation comes to patients with little renal function of the affected side, the recommended management is nephroureterectomy.

Key words: Ureter, Endometriosis, Surgical procedure, operative