Complicated Endometriosis of the Large Bowel

Endometriosis of the large bowel Is discussed, and three case reports are presented. The first patient had simultaneous endometriosis of the recto-sigmoid and caecum, the second of the sigmoid colon, and the third of the appendix. It is pointed out that the lesions localized deeply in the bowel wall appear to differ in their behaviour from the superficial serosal manifestations of endometriosis in that, whilst the latter are still under hormonal control and regress after the menopause, the former are more autonomous and respond neither to hormone therapy nor to the menopause, natural or surgical. They In fact require excision for their cure.