RESUMO
To find out number of cases with endometriosis. its relationship with age, parity and socioeconomic condition and to document its different stages. Design: An observational study. Place and Duration: Study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre Karachi, over four years period from 1st January 2000 to 31st December 2003. Subject And Methods Three hundred diagnostic laparoscopies were performed in patients with various clinical presentations such as chronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, infertility and menstrual irregularities 'to find out those due to endometriosis. Forty cases of endometriosis were diagnosed at laparoscopy. Majority [75%] of the patients with endometriosis were between 20-30 years of age. Endometriosis was more common in infertile as compared to fertile ladies. As JPMC is a tertiary care public sector hospital providing services to relatively poor class of patients, all the cases of endometriosis were found in lower socio economic class. Ten cases [25%] of endometriosis were in stage-I, fifteen cases [37.5%] in stage-II while there were 5 and 10 cases in stage III and IV respectively. Endometriosis is not an uncommon gynecological problem and is commonly found in young and reproductive age group, of patients. Laparoscopy being a minimally invasive procedure requiring minimum time of hospitalization and minor post-operative discomfort is invaluable in diagnosis of endometriosis