Marcello Ceccaroni1, Giovanni Roviglione2, Antonino Farulla3, Pietro Bertoglio4, Roberto Clarizia1, Andrea Viti4, Daniele Mautone1, Matteo Ceccarello1, Anna Stepniewska1, Alberto Claudio Terzi4. 1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gynecologic Oncology and Minimally-Invasive Pelvic Surgery, International School of Surgical Anatomy, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Via Don Angelo Sempreboni 5, 37024, Negrar di Valpolicella, Verona, Italy. 2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gynecologic Oncology and Minimally-Invasive Pelvic Surgery, International School of Surgical Anatomy, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Via Don Angelo Sempreboni 5, 37024, Negrar di Valpolicella, Verona, Italy. gruvy79@gmail.com. 3. Minimally Invasive and Robotic Gynecologic Surgery Unit, Policlinico di Modena University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy. 4. Division of Thoracic Surgery, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar di Valpolicella, Verona, Italy.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Diaphragmatic endometriosis (DE) is a rare and often misdiagnosed condition. Most of the times it is asymptomatic and due to the low accuracy of diagnostic tests, it is almost always detected during surgery for pelvic endometriosis. Its management is challenging and, until now, there are not guidelines about its treatment. METHODS: We describe a consecutive series of patients with DE managed by laparoscopy and videothoracoscopy (VATS) in our referral center in a period of 15 years. We developed a flow-chart classifying DE implants in foci, plaques and nodules and proposing an algorithm with the aim of standardizing the surgical approach. RESULTS: 215 patients were treated for DE. Lesions were almost always localized on the right hemidiaphragm (91%), and the endometriotic implants were distributed as: foci in 133 (62%), plaques in 24 (11%) and nodules in 58 patients (27%), respectively. In all cases of isolated pleural involvement, concomitant diaphragmatic hernia or lesions of the thoracic side of the diaphragm VATS was performed, alone or combined with laparoscopy, resulting in a total of 26 procedures. Following the proposed algorithm, specific surgical techniques were identified as the better approaches for the different types of the lesion, such as Argon Beam Coagulation and diathermocoagulation for diaphragmatic foci, peritoneal stripping for plaques, and nodulectomy or full-thickness resection of diaphragm for nodules. CONCLUSIONS: It is crucial to standardize the surgical approach of DE, according to the type of lesion, thus reducing the rate of under- or over-treatments and intra or postoperative complications. This kind of surgery should be performed in a Referral Center by a gynecologic surgeon with oncogynecologic expertise and skills, with the eventual support of a laparoscopic general surgeon, a specialized thoracic surgeon and a trained anesthesiologist.
BACKGROUND: Diaphragmatic endometriosis (DE) is a rare and often misdiagnosed condition. Most of the times it is asymptomatic and due to the low accuracy of diagnostic tests, it is almost always detected during surgery for pelvic endometriosis. Its management is challenging and, until now, there are not guidelines about its treatment. METHODS: We describe a consecutive series of patients with DE managed by laparoscopy and videothoracoscopy (VATS) in our referral center in a period of 15 years. We developed a flow-chart classifying DE implants in foci, plaques and nodules and proposing an algorithm with the aim of standardizing the surgical approach. RESULTS: 215 patients were treated for DE. Lesions were almost always localized on the right hemidiaphragm (91%), and the endometriotic implants were distributed as: foci in 133 (62%), plaques in 24 (11%) and nodules in 58 patients (27%), respectively. In all cases of isolated pleural involvement, concomitant diaphragmatic hernia or lesions of the thoracic side of the diaphragm VATS was performed, alone or combined with laparoscopy, resulting in a total of 26 procedures. Following the proposed algorithm, specific surgical techniques were identified as the better approaches for the different types of the lesion, such as Argon Beam Coagulation and diathermocoagulation for diaphragmatic foci, peritoneal stripping for plaques, and nodulectomy or full-thickness resection of diaphragm for nodules. CONCLUSIONS: It is crucial to standardize the surgical approach of DE, according to the type of lesion, thus reducing the rate of under- or over-treatments and intra or postoperative complications. This kind of surgery should be performed in a Referral Center by a gynecologic surgeon with oncogynecologic expertise and skills, with the eventual support of a laparoscopic general surgeon, a specialized thoracic surgeon and a trained anesthesiologist.
Authors: Marina P Andres; Fernanda V L Arcoverde; Carolina C C Souza; Luiz Flavio C Fernandes; Mauricio Simões Abrão; Rosanne Marie Kho Journal: J Minim Invasive Gynecol Date: 2019-10-13 Impact factor: 4.137
Authors: Anna Lena Zippl; Wan Syahirah Yang Mohsin; Elisabeth Gasser; Benjamin Henninger; Andreas Widschwendter; Reinhold Kafka; Beata Seeber Journal: F S Rep Date: 2022-05-06