Danazol

An androgen that may suppress the symptoms of Endometriosis. Manufactured by Lannett Company.

Endometriosis & the Kidneys

| Bloomin' Uterus
A doodle of a human kidney pointing at a diagram of the renal system

In the past, I’ve researched how Endometriosis can affect the renal system, specifically the bladder or ureters, and how that could even cause blockages that cause kidney issues and severe problems.

Today, I’m going to talk about Endometriosis and the actual kidney.

A study published in October of 2018 discussed a 45-year-old woman who had flank pain and blood in her urine.  Imaging studies found a mass on her left kidney.  A surgery was performed to remove the suspected renal mass and a portion of her kidney, and pathology confirmed it was an Endometriosis lesion.  It was removed from her “renal parenchyma,” which is the solid part of the kidney that filters blood and makes urine.

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New Case Study: a woman with severely aggresive external Endometriosis

| Bloomin' Uterus
Sign that reads 175

A newly published study about a 35-year-old woman with a case of crazy-insane-aggressive Endometriosis hit my inbox.  I was going to fit it into a previously-written blog about hysterectomies and Endo or extra-pelvic Endo…but it was so fascinating that I decided to create today’s blog entry.

Initially, this young woman had abdominal surgery to remove her right ovary because of a ruptured ovarian cyst.  She subsequently had three additional surgeries to excise Endometriomas (chocolate cysts) and adenomyosis via a total hysterectomy which also took both of her fallopian tubes and remaining ovary.

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An alternative to Lupron Depot, Letrozole, or Danazol?

| Bloomin' Uterus
Syringe for Lupron Depot injection

The Journal of Restorative Medicine has published an article by Dr. Edward Lichen in their December 2016 compilation about non-surgical treatment of Endometriosis.  You can read the article, in it’s entirety, by clicking on the link under “Resources,” but I wanted to give a brief overview of my interpretation:

Causation:

  • Causation continues to be a mystery.  An overview of the nine theories of causation is given.
  • DNA research is ongoing.
  • Estrogen plays a role.  Many women with Endometriosis cannot opt for estrogen replacement therapy (even if post-menopausal) due to high recurrence rates of estrogen stimulation.
  • Xenoestrogens, dioxins, and endocrine disruptors increase inflammation and can cause Endometriosis to develop/recur.
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Endometriosis & the Brain

| Bloomin' Uterus
Krang from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Krang, from TMNT, seemed appropriate for this one…

Another rare location I’ve heard can be invaded by Endometriosis is our brain. Yep.  Our gray matter.  But, again, curiosity led me to find documented cases, symptoms, and treatments. So I’ve scoured the interwebs for just such a thing, but it was difficult to find much of anything!  This is not meant to scare anyone, or to create an Army of Hypochondriacs.  It’s meant to let everyone know that, yes, it does happen.  And this is what to look for…and what can be done for it..

From what I can find (which was very, very little), it appears that symptoms may include headaches or seizures.  As of 2010, there have only been 3 documented cases of cerebral Endometriosis (at least in English-language literature).

Let’s get down to the nitty gritty science!

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