Prevalence, Pattern and Clinical Presentation of Endometriosis in Indigenous Africans Undergoing Laparoscopic in Two Hospitals in Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

Background: Endometriosis is an enigmatic clinical entity that is described as the existence of the endometrial tissue external to the uterine cavity. Endometriosis constitutes a severe health issue due to its affliction of 10 % of women of reproductive age and its clinical manifestation of infertility and chronic pelvic pain, leading to poor quality of life. Despite years of research, the causative factor and understanding of the ambidextrous endometriosis pathology remains elusive and perplexing. Worldwide, there is clear documentation of the prevalence of endometriosis in developed countries; however, the prevalence of endometriosis in most of black Africa is unknown. The current perspective is that indigenous Africans rarely have endometriosis. Evaluating the pattern and clinical presentation of endometriosis among Indigenous Africans has established the disease burden and create awareness of this debilitating disease. Objective: To assess the pattern and clinical presentation of endometriosis in indigenous African women undergoing laparoscopic surgery in two hospitals in Nairobi, Kenya. Study site: Kenyatta National Hospital and Nairobi Hospital. Outcome Measure: The primary outcome measure was the pattern and clinical presentation of laparoscopic visually diagnosed with histological confirmation of endometriosis in indigenous African women undergoing laparoscopy. Study Period: The study covered two years, from 01/03/2018 to 31/03/2020. Methodology: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study with a sample size of 443 women participants. Data was collected using a structured form and included all case records for patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery with the retrieval of socio-demographic characteristics, history of infertility, and chronic pelvic pain. The patient’s history, clinical, laparoscopic, and histological findings and diagnosis were recorded and uploaded into a Microsoft Access-designed database and later exported into Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0 and STATA 15.0 for data management, analysis, and inferential statistical testing. The histological endometriosis was confirmed, and the prevalence was determined. The resulting study was presented using tables and graphs...