Cul-de-sac fluid in women with endometriosis: fluid volume and prostanoid concentration during the proliferative phase of the cycle--days 8 to 12.

Cul-de-sac fluid from women with histologically confirmed endometriosis (n = 45) or with no evidence of endometriosis (n = 17) was removed during the proliferative phase of the menstrual cycle (days 8 to 12) and analyzed for prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha), 15-keto-13,14-dihydroprostaglandin F2 alpha (PGFM), and thromboxane B2 (TXB2). The fluid volume was recorded. Peripheral blood was also obtained to determine the concentration of PGFM. Prostanoid concentrations (PGE2, PGF2 alpha, PGFM, TXB2) in women with endometriosis were not significantly different from a comparable group of disease-free women. Furthermore, a meaningful elevation of prostanoid with increasing severity of disease could not be demonstrated. Plasma PGFM was not significantly different from controls. There was, however, an elevation of PGFM with severity of disease, although this increase was not statistically significant (P = 0.11). An increase in fluid volume was not demonstrated in women with endometriosis, as compared with controls.