Abstract
Endometriosis is a debilitating problem with pain in the short term and high
risk of infertility later. It is an oestrogen-dependent condition found in about
10% of women of reproductive age, about 1/3 of infertile women and as high
as 80% of women with chronic pelvic pain. The condition is not well understood
and thus associated with misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis. Higher rates
of misdiagnosis occur in blacks and this is especially for pelvic tumors-fibroids
and ovarian tumors. We present here the case of a 30-year-old nullipara, who
had an umbilical nodule (Sister Mary Joseph’s) and was found on imaging to
have a pelvic tumor which was suspected to be an ovarian cancer. Diagnostic
laparoscopy during the menstrual phase however revealed endometriosis in
early stage. Misdiagnosis of endometriosis has potential to distort the course
of the disease and endanger fertility prospects; early laparoscopic evaluation
of patients with unclear pelvic pathologies would help to prevent this occurrence.
