Comparison of serum markers of inflammation in endometrioma and benign ovarian cysts.

Abstract

Objective: Endometriosis is known as a chronic inflammatory disease. This study investigates the differences in the inflammatory response between endometriomas and benign ovarian cysts during the preoperative and postoperative periods.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients who underwent laparoscopic cystectomy for endometriomas or non-endometriotic benign cysts between 2010 and 2021. The study compared demographic and gynecological characteristics, lesion size, serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), and preoperative and postoperative values of erythrocyte distribution width (RDW), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and leukocytes between the two groups.

Results: The study included 116 patients (48.13%) in the Study Group and 125 (51.87%) in the Control Group. The mean age of the Study and Control Groups was 27.76 years and 24.54 years, respectively (p<0.001). A non-significant discrepancy in preoperative AMH and FSH values was observed between the two groups (p>0.05). Preoperative RDW (14.50±1.56 vs. 14.04±1.40), PLR (160.82±44.52 vs. 136.83±48.72), and NLR (2.60±1.10 vs. 2.17±1.13) were significantly higher in the Study Group (p<0.05). Nevertheless, only in the Study Group NLR exhibited a notable increase in the postoperative period (p<0.05). Preoperative NLR was positively correlated with cyst size in endometriomas but was not correlated with rASRM score, AMH, or FSH levels.

Conclusion: The inflammatory markers RDW, PLR, and NLR were significantly elevated in endometriomas compared to other benign cysts during preoperative and postoperative periods. The inflammatory response increased with cyst size but was not related to ovarian reserve as measured by serum AMH or the stage of endometriosis.