Journal of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa
Histopathological patterns and topographic distribution of endometriosis: A 10-year retrospective study at a South African tertiary institution
By Florence L. Masha, Nosipho Maria Thobakgale and Moshawa Calvin Khaba.
Abstract
Background
Endometriosis affects approximately 190 million women globally; however, despite this, epidemiological data on endometriosis from Africa remain scarce. Understanding regional disease patterns, histopathological characteristics, and anatomical distribution is essential for improving diagnostic accuracy and clinical management.
Methods
A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using archival data from the Department of Anatomical Pathology at the Dr George Mukhari Academic Laboratory, Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa, from 01 January 2012 to 31 December 2021. Histopathologically confirmed cases of endometriosis were identified using SNOMED codes. Demographic and clinical data were analysed using Stata 14, with Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests to assess associations (p < 0.05).