A Review of Urinary Tract Endometriosis.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To describe the presenting signs and symptoms of patients with urinary tract endometriosis (UTE), appropriate workup, and to review medical and surgical therapies for symptom palliation and definitive management.

RECENT FINDINGS: UTE is a condition that clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for, as symptoms can be easily misdiagnosed from other causes. Surgical resection of implants appears to offer safe and durable symptom relief. Urinary tract endometriosis may present with symptoms overlapping with interstitial cystitis, nephrolithiasis, bladder overactivity, or recurrent urinary tract infections, and may or may not be cyclical in nature. Cyclical gross hematuria is considered pathognomonic, though final diagnosis must be made after a pathologic review. Without proper diagnosis and treatment, consequences such as silent renal loss from asymptomatic obstruction may result. After the diagnosis is made, initial therapy can be undertaken with hormonal treatment to palliate symptoms (most commonly in the form of combined oral contraceptives), followed by surgical resection for a definitive treatment option.