Acupuncture for abdominal wall endometriosis: A case report

Abstract

Introduction: Endometriosis refers to a series of symptoms caused by the presence of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterine cavity. In extrapelvic endometriosis, abdominal wall endometriosis (AWE) is very common. Acupuncture therapy has been widely used as an alternative therapy to treat multiple diseases, such as sequelae of stroke, pain, and facial paralysis. To our knowledge, case reports of acupuncture for the treatment of AWE has not been reported. We report a case of acupuncture in the treatment of abdominal endometriosis. Rationale: AWE could result in symptoms including pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, and infertility. Acupuncture might be effective in the treatment of the disease. Patient concerns: A 38-year-old woman complained of the aggregation of pain in a mass, which is located in her abdominal wall. Diagnoses: The patient was diagnosed with AWE, surgical history (excision of deep abdominal wall mass, repair of abdominal wall defect with patch). According to traditional Chinese medicine theory, traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis is Zhengjia (qi stagnation and blood stasis pattern). Interventions: Combined with the theory of disentanglement, we use acupuncture, cupping, and needle therapy to promote qi circulation, activate blood circulation, relieve pain, and dissipate masses. Outcomes: After treatment, abdominal ultrasound showed that the mass gradually decreased. Conclusion: Acupuncture can effectively relieve the pain caused by abdominal endometriosis and reduce the size of abdominal endometriosis masses.