Value of Ca 125 for diagnosis of pleural endometriosis in women with recurrent pneumothorax

¹ Dept of Thoracic Surgery, Georges Pompidou European Hospital, Paris V University, Paris, France; and Dept of Thoracic, Vascular Surgery and Urology, Clinic of surgery, Victor Dupouy Hospital, Argenteuil, France
² Dept of Thoracic Surgery, Georges Pompidou European Hospital, Paris V University, Paris, France
³ Dept of Thoracic, Vascular Surgery and Urology, Clinic of surgery, Victor Dupouy Hospital, Argenteuil, France

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: marc.riquet{at}hop.egp.ap-hop-paris.fr.

	Abstract

Thorax is the most frequent extrapelvic location of endometriosis. Thoracic endometriosis is probably responsible for the high rate of recurrent pneumothoraces in women. The goal of this prospective study was to assess the value of Ca125 measurement in the detection of endometriosis in order to further enable early and adequate treatment of catamenial pneumothorax.

From January 2004 to March 2006, 31 women, of mean age 32 years, underwent pneumothorax surgery.The control group was a group of 17 men of mean age 27 years, who underwent video-thoracoscopic pleural abrasion. The serum Ca 125 was measured each time around the menstrual period in women and before surgery in men.

Videothoracoscopy diagnosed endometriosis in 29 % of women. The Ca125 concentration was significantly higher in women with endometriosis compared with disease-free women (76.1 U·ml^-1 versus 16 U·ml^-1; p<0.0001). The mean value in male was similar to that observed in disease-free women.

Frequency of thoracic endometriosis related pneumothorax averages one third of women presenting with recurrent pneumothorax. Early detection can be achieved with serum Ca125 measurement, and may be helpful in the indication of videothoracoscopic surgery.