Hello and welcome to the Zero to Finals podcast. My name is Tom and in this episode I'm going to be talking to you about endometriosis.

And you can find written notes on this topic at zero definals.com slash endometriosis or in the gynecology section of the Zero definals obstetrics and gynecology book.

So let's get straight into it.

Endometriosis is a condition where there is ectopic endometrial tissue outside the uterus.

A lump of endometrial tissue outside the uterus is described as an endometrioma.

Endometriomas in the ovaries are often called chocolate cysts.

Adinomyosis refers to endometrial tissue within the myometrium, which is the muscle layer of the uterus.

Let's talk about the atiology.

The exact cause of endometriosis is not clear,

although there are several theories.

No specific genes have been found that cause endometriosis,

however there does seem to be a genetic component to developing the condition.

One notable theory for the cause of ectopic endometrial tissue

is that during menstruation, the endometrial lining flows backwards

through the fallopian tubes and out into the pelvis and the peritoneum.

This is called retrograde menstruation.

The endometrial tissue then seeds itself around the pelvis and the peritoneal cavity.

There are several other possible methods for endometrial tissue exiting the uterus that have been proposed.

Embryonic cells destined to become endometrial tissue may remain in areas outside the uterus

during the development of the fetus prior to the woman being born.

And then these embryonic cells later develop into ectopic endometrial tissue.

Alternatively, there may be spread of endometrial cells through the lymphatic system,

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