Endometriosis – the spread of endometrial tissue outside the uterus – has been reported as being a relatively common condition among women with ME/CFS.
A study from researchers in Atlanta, Georgia recently looked at what, if any, impact the condition has on other characteristics of patients. Among 36 women from Wichita, Kansas, with a diagnosis of CFS (according to the 1994 Fukuda case definition), 36.1% reported having endometriosis.
These individuals were more likely than those without endometriosis to have chronic pelvic pain, an earlier menopause and a previous hysterectomy, and they also had more CFS-related symptoms.
Endometriosis did not appear to have any impact on functioning, fatigue or inflammatory markers, but the sample was relatively small, and most participants were postmenopausal. A better indication might come from studying a sample of younger women.
