The morphologic effect of short-term medical therapy of endometriosis.

A clinicopathologic study of a short-term medical treatment of endometriosis with danazol or gestrinone was performed in 50 patients with endometriosis and infertility. The cellular response to the therapy was evaluated and graded according to morphologic, that is, histologic and ultrastructural, criteria. A 2-month therapy with 1.25 mg of gestrinone daily induced a degree of cellular inactivation and degeneration of the endometriotic implants that was more pronounced than after 4 months of therapy with either gestrinone (2.5 mg twice or thrice weekly) or danazol (600 mg daily). There was no correlation between the morphologic response to treatment and either the hormonal response of the foci during the menstrual cycle before therapy or the change in laparoscopic staging of endometriosis at the end of therapy. It is suggested that a short-term medical treatment should be further evaluated clinically in the treatment of endometriosis and infertility.