Quality of life and symptoms of pain in patients with endometriomas compared to those with other endometriosis lesions: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Abstract Background Endometriomas are genetically distinct from other endometriosis lesions and could be associated with a predisposition to excessive inflammation. However, differences in clinical presentation between types of endometriosis lesions remain understudied. This study aimed to investigate the quality of life and pain scores among patients with endometrioma compared to those with other types of endometriosis lesions. Methods A cross-sectional observational study was conducted between January 2020 and August 2023. Patients diagnosed with endometriosis completed the Endometriosis Health Profile 30 pain subscale questionnaire for their quality of life score and rated their endometriosis-associated pain symptoms using an 11-point numerical rating scale. Data were analyzed for comparison through multivariable linear regression models. Results A total of 248 patients were included and divided into endometrioma (81, 33%) and non-endometrioma (167, 67%) groups. The mean age of the patients was 37.1 ± 7.5 years old. Most participants were Canadian or North American (84%). One-third of the patients reported experiencing up to four concurrent pain symptoms. The most reported pain included deep dyspareunia (90%), chronic pelvic pain (84%) and lower back pain (81%). The mean quality of life score was 45.9 ± 25.9. We observed no difference in quality of life score between patients with and without endometriomas. Patients with endometriomas had lower mean scores for deep dyspareunia of 0.8 (95%CI, [0 to 1.5]; p = 0.049) and higher for superficial dyspareunia of 1.4 (95%CI, [0.2 to 2.6]; p = 0.028). Conclusion Among patients with endometriosis, the presence of endometriomas is not associated with a greater or lesser quality of life but difference in specific symptoms of dyspareunia.