A cross-sectional descriptive study on the quality of life, anxiety and depression among Filipino patients with pelvic endometriosis

Objective@#To determine the impact of endometriosis on the quality of life, risk of anxiety and depression among Filipino women in a tertiary hospital. @*Methods@#A cross-sectional study was conducted among 210 patients aged 18-50 diagnosed clinically and sonographically with pelvic endometriosis. Verbal and written consent were secured. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to describe the baseline characteristics of the population. Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) was used to assess the degree of pain symptoms of the patients. WHO Quality of Life Tool (WHOQOL-BREF), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A) and Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D) in Filipino version were used to evaluate the quality of life, anxiety and depression of the respondents. Series of paired t-tests were performed to determine the differences in the average outcomes (i.e. level of depression, anxiety, quality of life and subscales, pain scores and types of pain). McNemar’s chi-square test was utilized to determine the differences in the frequency of mild to severe anxiety and depression before and after treatment. Spearman’s rho rank correlation was performed to determine the relationship of the level of pain to the outcome measures. One-way analysis of variance was performed to determine differences in the current mean levels of depression, anxiety, quality of life and its subscales across disease conditions (i.e. endometriosis alone, myoma uteri, adenomyosis, other gynecologic conditions, infertility). The level of significance was set at a p-value < 0.05 using two-tailed comparison. @*Results@#The most common symptoms reported were the presence of dysmenorrhea (90.95%) and pelvic pain (88.57%), which were both rated at pain scale 8/10. Majority (73.8%) of patients have some form of depression (mild-28.57%, moderate-27.13%, severe-13.33%, very severe-4.76%) with an average level of depression at 12.39 ± 6.5. Majority (54.76%) of patients likewise have some form of anxiety (mild-15.24%, moderate-20.95%, severe-18.57%) with an average level of anxiety at 15.44 ± 10.38. Depression and anxiety scores significantly decreased after medical treatment. In terms of overall quality of life and perceived level of health, respondents demonstrated an average score of 3.25 ± 0.91 and 2.86 ± 0.96, respectively. These post-treatment scores showed significant improvement from baseline. The sub-domains (i.e. physical, psychological, social and environmental) also have relatively high scores ranging from 13.44 ± 2.39 to 15.60 ± 2.63. These are indicative of very satisfactory quality of life.Other gynecologic conditions, such as infertility, myoma uteri, and adenomyosis, do not contribute significantly to the outcomes measured.@*Conclusion@#Pelvic endometriosis is a chronic, life-long, inflammatory disease that presents mainly as pelvic pain. This debilitating pain can significantly affect patients’ psychological well-being and mental health, which is manifested by the very high incidence of anxiety and depression among Filipino women with endometriosis. Management of endometriosis is complex, hence a multi-disciplinary approach that includes psychiatric counseling may be necessary.

Turner Syndrome associated with Mayer-Rokitansky-KusterHauser Syndrome: A case report and review of related literature

@#Turner syndrome and Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome are the most common causes of primary amenorrhea. However, mullerian agenesis in patients with Turner syndrome is rare, with only 15 reported cases worldwide. Described in this report is an 18-year-old female who presented with primary amenorrhea, absent secondary sexual characteristics, short stature, webbed neck, and shield chest. Work up revealed hypergonadotropic hypogonadism, absence of normal ovaries and uterus, and hypothyroidism. She had a 45,X karyotype and was diagnosed with a very rare case of Turner syndrome with associated Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome. Early detection of the etiology of amenorrhea is critical for prompt management and initiation of hormonal replacement. She was counseled on the possible systemic problems associated with her condition. The importance of regular follow-up and continuous care were also emphasized. With the coexistence of these two conditions, adoption is the only option for having children in the Philippines, where oocyte donation and uterine transplantation are currently unavailable.