Endometriosis affects women in the reproductive years, limits their fertility, and seriously impairs their health. The prevalence. of endometriosis in the literature varies widely from I % to 50 %. However, most estimates of endometriosis among the general population of women are speculative.
From January. 1988 to September. 1992, diagnostic laparoscopy was performed in 4,768 patients, and 782 patients were diagnosed as having endometriosis. The prevalence of endo metriosis at diagnostic laparoscopy was 16.4% (782/4,768). The prevalence of endometriosis at diagnotic laparoscopy for infertility was 18.7 % (767/4,102). According to the revised American Fertility Society classification of endometriosis, 60.3 % was in Stage I, 19.8 % in Stage II, 7.9% in Stage III, and 12.0% in Stage IV.
In conclusion, there was a significant tendency of increase in the prevalence of endometriosis at diagnostic laparoscopy and diagnostic laparoscopy for infertility.
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