Research status of infertility mechanism and pregnancy assisting strategies in patients with endometriosis-associated infertility

doi:10.3877/cma.j.issn.1673-5250.2020.03.004

Endometriosis (EMS) is a common disease in women of childbearing age. Ectopic endometrium can affect the pelvic internal environment through a variety of mechanisms, causing pelvic adhesion, reducing gamete and embryo quality, and ultimately leading to infertility. At present, three commonly used treatments for patients with EMS-associated infertility are drug therapy, surgical therapy and assisted reproductive technology (ART). The earliest treatment method of those patients is drug therapy, which mainly alleviates clinical symptoms such as dysmenorrhea, chronic pelvic pain, and dyspareunia. The subsequent laparoscopic surgery can improve the pregnancy rate of patients with EMS-associated infertility to a certain extent. ART, which has developed rapidly in recent years, provides a new treatment method for severe EMS patients and patients with postoperative recurrence. The author intends to elaborate on current research status of EMS-associated infertility from three aspects of drug, surgery and ART based on the common clinical treatment methods and clinical practice, to provide reference for further optimizing the clinical diagnosis and treatment ideas of EMS-associated infertility.

Key words: Endometriosis, Infertility, female, Endometriosis-associated infertility, Drug therapy, Laparoscopes, Reproductive techniques, assisted, Women

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