Shengnan Wei, Pu Li
Endometriosis is a disorder characterized by the presence of functional endometrial tissue, including glands and stroma, outside the uterine cavity. When it occurs in adolescents, defined by the World Health Organization as individuals aged 10 to 19 years, it is referred to as adolescent endometriosis or early-onset endometriosis. It is one of the major pathological causes of dysmenorrhea and chronic pelvic pain in this population. Adolescent endometriosis is often insidious in onset and heterogeneous in clinical presentation, and may be accompanied by gastrointestinal and urinary tract symptoms, pain syndromes, as well as anxiety and depression. To date, there are no established noninvasive approaches for early diagnosis or effective strategies for disease prevention. As a result, adolescent endometriosis is frequently overlooked, leading to substantial diagnostic delay and seriously affecting physical and mental health as well as future fertility.