Diagnostic delay and health-related quality of life in Egyptian women with endometriosis

Background Firstly, to measure indicators of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Egyptian women with endometriosis; and secondly, to estimate time interval from start of symptoms until endometriosis diagnosis is made (diagnostic delay) in Egyptian women with the disease. Material and methods Before laparoscopy for pelvic pain and/or infertility, eligible Egyptian women completed Global Study of Women’s Health (GSWH) questionnaire and validated Arabic version of Rand SF 36 (SF-36). According to laparoscopic findings, participants were divided to endometriosis group and control women with no pelvic abnormalities. Results Seventy women with endometriosis and 57 symptomatic controls without endometriosis were enrolled. A diagnostic delay of 36 months (IQR 22.5–60) was observed in women with endometriosis while symptomatic controls had a delay of 48 months (IQR 24–84). The difference was not statistically significant ( P = 0.08). Bodily pain (BP) scores were significantly lower in women with endometriosis than controls [80.0 (45.0–100.0) versus 100.0 (68.75–100.0) respectively, P is 0.01]. Women with advanced endometriosis had significantly lower scores for physical functioning (PF), role limitation due to physical function (RP), and BP compared to women with mild endometriosis, and to controls. Physical component summary (PCS) scores were significantly lower in women with advanced stage endometriosis [41.51 (34.19–51.54] compared to women with early-stage disease [58.33 (50.98–60.37)] or control group [54.72 (48.81–59.58)]. Patient’s age, intensity of noncyclical pelvic pain, and disease stage are determining factors of HRQoL in women with endometriosis. Conclusions Egyptian women with endometriosis experience relatively short diagnostic delay, poor bodily pain scores, and impaired physical health for which age, disease stage, and non-cyclic pain are determinants. Multi-disciplinary endometriosis centers, educational programs, and patient support groups are needed in Egypt.