Laparoscopic appearances of peritoneal endometriosis.

This article studies endometriosis diagnosed in patients undergoing laparoscopy for infertility and/or pain from 1982 to 1988. The diagnosis of endometriosis at laparoscopy increased from 42% in 1982 to 72% in 1988. The greatest change is in "subtle" lesions, which increased from 15% in 1986 to 65% in 1988. An increased awareness and histologic confirmation of the protean presentation of endometriosis is associated with a significant increase in the diagnosis of endometriosis at laparoscopy.