An economically rational method of managing early-stage endometriosis.

Endometriosis is a common gynecologic disease among women of reproductive age. The lesions of early endometriosis may be missed during laparoscopy, which has been considered to be the definitive means of both diagnosis and treatment. Moreover, laparoscopic treatment of minimal-to-mild (stage 1 to 2) endometriosis does not always resolve associated chronic pelvic pain in many women. Instead, medical therapy with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists may be more effective in providing long-lasting pain relief in patients with similar disease stages. The author outlines the cost effectiveness of a trial course of GnRH agonists in women presenting with chronic pelvic pain.