Cytogenetic studies in endometriosis tissue.

We analyzed 45 pelvic endometrial implants from 42 patients between the ages of 14 and 40 years to investigate whether cytogenetic abnormalities were present in these samples. Chromosomal abnormalities have been described in benign tumors of the female genital tract, such as uterine leiomyomas and endometrial polyps. Furthermore, heritable factors have been postulated to influence a woman's susceptibility to develop endometrial tissue implants outside the uterine cavity. To study whether these factors result in or are associated with chromosomal changes, endometriosis cells were analyzed cytogenetically after short-term culture. No consistent chromosome abnormalities were observed in any of the cases analyzed.