Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesComplicationsDiagnosisTreatmentPrognosisWhen to Seek Care
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Complications
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prognosis
When to Seek Care
Endometriosis is a medical condition that causes the type of cells that usually line the uterus to grow in other parts of the body. These patches of tissue are called endometrial implants.
Thoracic endometriosis is a rare form of endometriosis that causes endometrial implants to grow around or inside the lungs.This type ofendometriosis—in which implants occur outside the reproductive organs and pelvic area—is known as extragenital endometriosis.Many people with extragenital endometriosis also have pelvic (or “typical”) endometriosis, which can affect the ovaries, fallopian tubes, rectum, intestines, bladder, and the space behind the uterus.
In this article, we’ll go over everything you need to know about thoracic endometriosis, including symptoms, causes, and possible treatment options.
How Common Is Endometriosis?In the United States, about 10% of women in their reproductive years have endometriosis.
How Common Is Endometriosis?
In the United States, about 10% of women in their reproductive years have endometriosis.
SimonSkafar / Getty Images
Symptoms of Thoracic Endometriosis
Many people with endometriosis don’t experience any symptoms. Those who do often notice that their symptoms show up or get worse around the time of their period.
People with thoracic endometriosis may experience any of the following signs and symptoms:
Causes of Thoracic Endometriosis
Thoracic endometriosis occurs when patches of tissue that would typically be found in uterine lining grow in areas of the thorax (chest) instead.
Endometrial implants—also known as nodules or lesions—may be found in the lung itself, as well as in or around the diaphragm, bronchi (airways), or pleura (the tissue that lines and protects the inside and outside of the lungs). During your period, these implants may get inflamed or bleed, causing symptoms likedyspnea(shortness of breath).
There are several risk factors that may increase your chance of developing endometriosis, including:
Thoracic Endometriosis Complications
Several complications can occur when thoracic endometriosis is left untreated, including catamenial pneumothorax, hemothorax, hemoptysis, and lung nodules.
Catamenial Pneumothorax
About 80% of people with thoracic endometriosis experience a complication known ascatamenial pneumothorax. “Catamenial” refers to a symptom that appears only around the time of your period, while “pneumothorax” refers to a collapsed lung. Catamenial pneumothorax is defined as a recurrent collapsed lung that occurs within 72 hours of menstruation.
The symptoms of catamenial pneumothorax include coughing, shortness of breath, and chest pain. The pain can also radiate to the neck and shoulder, typically on the right side of the body.
Hemothorax
Around 14% of people with thoracic endometriosis experience catamenialhemothorax, which refers to a buildup of blood between the lining of the lungs. Like catamenial pneumothorax, this complication can cause difficulty breathing as well as pain in the shoulder, chest, and/or neck. In the vast majority of cases, this pain occurs on the right side.
Hemoptysis
Catamenialhemoptysis(coughing up blood) occurs in approximately 5% of cases of thoracic endometriosis. Usually, the bleeding is mild to moderate. Severe, life-threatening blood loss is possible, but extremely rare.
Lung Nodules
Very rarely, thoracic endometriosis can lead to the development oflung nodules. These lesions typically vary from 0.5 to 3 centimeters in diameter. They are sometimes noticed on imaging tests during the process of diagnosing endometriosis.
How Is It Diagnosed?
To diagnose you with thoracic endometriosis, your healthcare provider may perform a pelvic exam and/or ultrasound, in addition to asking you about your medical and family histories, symptoms, fertility, and menstrual cycles.
Your healthcare provider may also use the following tests to determine whether or not you have endometrial implants in your chest cavity (or anywhere else):
Thoracic Endometriosis Treatment
Thoracic endometriosis is typically treated with hormone therapy, surgery, or both.
Medication
Hormone therapy is typically the first-line treatment for endometriosis. The goals of hormone therapy are to relieve pain, shrink or slow down the growth of existing endometrial implants, and prevent new ones from forming.
Your healthcare provider may prescribe any of the following medications to treat thoracic endometriosis:
Surgery
If your endometriosis symptoms don’t resolve with medication, your healthcare provider may recommend surgery. The first choice of surgical treatment for thoracic endometriosis is often video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). VATS is a minimally invasive surgery that involves the removal of unwanted tissue, such as endometrial lesions, from the chest cavity using a series of small incisions.
In very rare cases, ahysterectomy(surgical removal of the uterus) may be necessary to relieve severe endometriosis symptoms.
Endometriosis is often treatable, but there’s currently no known cure. All types of endometriosis—including thoracic endometriosis—can recur even after surgery or hormone therapy. However, symptoms typically resolve after the onset of menopause.
If you have trouble conceiving due to endometriosis, fertility treatments such asin vitro fertilization(IVF) may help you get pregnant.
Thoracic endometriosis is sometimes difficult to diagnose because its symptoms, including chest pain and difficulty breathing, can be easy to mistake for other conditions. It can also take some time to realize that your symptoms show up just before or during yourmenstrual cycle.
Reach out to a healthcare provider if your periods are painful or unpredictable, or if you’ve been having unprotected sex for 12 months or more (or six months if you’re over 35 years old) without getting pregnant. You may also have thoracic endometriosis if you notice that symptoms such as chest, neck, or shoulder pain tend to be felt on your right side.
Summary
Thoracic endometriosis is a type of endometriosis in which tissue that would normally line theuterusgrows inside or around the lungs. People with thoracic endometriosis may experience symptoms like coughing, shallow breathing, and chest pain during their menstrual cycle.
As with other kinds of endometriosis, thoracic endometriosis is often treated with hormone therapy to lower estrogen production. If symptoms don’t resolve with medication, surgery may be necessary.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Endometriosis.Nezhat C, Lindheim SR, Backhus L, Vu M, Vang N, Nezhat A, Nezhat C.Thoracic endometriosis syndrome: a review of diagnosis and management.JSLS. 2019;23(3):e2019.00029. doi:10.4293/JSLS.2019.00029Menni K, Facchetti L, Cabassa P.Extragenital endometriosis: assessment with MR imaging: a pictorial review.Br J Radiol. 2016;89(1060):20150672. doi:10.1259/bjr.20150672MedlinePlus.Endometriosis.Azizad-Pinto P, Clarke D.Thoracic endometriosis syndrome: case report and review of the literature.Perm J. 2014;18(3):61-5. doi:10.7812/TPP/13-154Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.About endometriosis.Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.What are the risk factors for endometriosis?.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Endometriosis.Nezhat C, Lindheim SR, Backhus L, Vu M, Vang N, Nezhat A, Nezhat C.Thoracic endometriosis syndrome: a review of diagnosis and management.JSLS. 2019;23(3):e2019.00029. doi:10.4293/JSLS.2019.00029Menni K, Facchetti L, Cabassa P.Extragenital endometriosis: assessment with MR imaging: a pictorial review.Br J Radiol. 2016;89(1060):20150672. doi:10.1259/bjr.20150672MedlinePlus.Endometriosis.Azizad-Pinto P, Clarke D.Thoracic endometriosis syndrome: case report and review of the literature.Perm J. 2014;18(3):61-5. doi:10.7812/TPP/13-154Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.About endometriosis.Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.What are the risk factors for endometriosis?.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Endometriosis.Nezhat C, Lindheim SR, Backhus L, Vu M, Vang N, Nezhat A, Nezhat C.Thoracic endometriosis syndrome: a review of diagnosis and management.JSLS. 2019;23(3):e2019.00029. doi:10.4293/JSLS.2019.00029Menni K, Facchetti L, Cabassa P.Extragenital endometriosis: assessment with MR imaging: a pictorial review.Br J Radiol. 2016;89(1060):20150672. doi:10.1259/bjr.20150672MedlinePlus.Endometriosis.Azizad-Pinto P, Clarke D.Thoracic endometriosis syndrome: case report and review of the literature.Perm J. 2014;18(3):61-5. doi:10.7812/TPP/13-154Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.About endometriosis.Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.What are the risk factors for endometriosis?.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Endometriosis.
Nezhat C, Lindheim SR, Backhus L, Vu M, Vang N, Nezhat A, Nezhat C.Thoracic endometriosis syndrome: a review of diagnosis and management.JSLS. 2019;23(3):e2019.00029. doi:10.4293/JSLS.2019.00029
Menni K, Facchetti L, Cabassa P.Extragenital endometriosis: assessment with MR imaging: a pictorial review.Br J Radiol. 2016;89(1060):20150672. doi:10.1259/bjr.20150672
MedlinePlus.Endometriosis.
Azizad-Pinto P, Clarke D.Thoracic endometriosis syndrome: case report and review of the literature.Perm J. 2014;18(3):61-5. doi:10.7812/TPP/13-154
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.About endometriosis.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.What are the risk factors for endometriosis?.
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