Indicators of quality of life, anxiety-depressive symptoms and severity of dysmenorrhea in adolescent girls with peritoneal endometriosis during conservative therapy for a year

Introduction. Delayed diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis lead to impaired quality of life and pain chronification in young female patients.

Aim. To study indicators of quality of life, anxiety, depression and pain syndrome in adolescents with peritoneal endometriosis (PE) over a one-year period of conservative therapy.

Materials and methods. A total of 45 girls aged 13 to 17 years with a confirmed diagnosis of PE were enrolled in a prospective longitudinal study. Pain syndrome (VAS, McGill Pain Questionnaire), anxiety-depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)), quality of life indicators (SF-36) were assessed before and after one year of treatment in female patients (dienogest administered continuously, NSAIDs and drotaverine for immediate pain relief only).

Results. One year of therapy resulted in a significant decrease in the severity of dysmenorrhea and chronic pelvic pain, gastrointestinal symptoms and dysuria, daily activity and productivity impairment (p < 0.001) in girls with PE. In addition, the study demonstrated decreased indicators of anxiety and depressive disorders (BDI depression, HADS anxiety and depression, STAI reactive and personal anxiety (p < 0.001)) and an improvement in quality-of-life indicators (physical and psychological component, average index (p < 0.001)). There was a declining trend in blood hormone and inflammation test results within the reference range during treatment. The estradiol level has been shown to be a risk factor for high levels of affective disorder symptoms in adolescents with PE: STAI reactive anxiety (p = 0.046), HADS anxiety and depression (p = 0.044 and 0.033, respectively).

Conclusion. The one-year therapy of PE in adolescents (dienogest administered continuously, a combination of NSAIDs and drotaverine in pain syndrome only) was associated with significantly improved quality of life, decreased severity of anxietydepressive disorders and pain, which confirms the need to start therapy when symptoms of the disease begin to show them-selves in adolescence.

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