What is the Difference Between Endometriosis and Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

The key difference between endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease is that endometriosis is a disease caused by the presence of tissue resembling endometrium outside the uterus, while pelvic inflammatory disease is characterized by an infection of the reproductive organs of a woman.

Women face numerous reproductive health problems. Endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease are two such reproductive system diseases.

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Endometriosis
3. What is Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
4. Similarities – Endometriosis and Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
5. Endometriosis vs Pelvic Inflammatory Disease in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Endometriosis vs Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

What is Endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a disease in which some tissues that resemble the endometrium are seen outside the uterus. It is often a painful disorder. Endometriosis usually involves the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and the tissues lining the pelvis. Sometimes, the endometrial-like tissue can be found in the area beyond the pelvic organs. In endometriosis, endometrial-like tissue may thicken, break down, and bleed with each menstrual cycle. Moreover, this endometrium-like tissue has no way to exit the body, and it becomes trapped. The common signs and symptoms of endometriosis include painful periods (dysmenorrhea), excessive bleeding, painful intercourse, pain with urination or bowel movements, infertility, fatigue, diarrhea, bloating, and nausea, especially during menstrual periods. The possible causes for endometriosis are retrograde menstruation, transformation of peritoneal cells, embryonic cell transformation, surgical scar implantation, endometrial cell transport, and immune system disorder.

Endometriosis can be diagnosed through a pelvic examination, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and laparoscopy. Treatment options for endometriosis are pain medications (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, and naproxen sodium), hormone therapy (hormonal contraceptives, Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (Gn-RH) agonists and antagonists, progestin therapy, aromatase inhibitors), conservative surgery, fertility treatment, and hysterectomy.

What is Pelvic Inflammatory Disease?

Pelvic inflammatory disease is an infection of the female reproductive organs. It normally occurs when sexually transmitted bacteria spread from the vagina to the uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries. The common signs and symptoms of the pelvic inflammatory disease include pain in the lower abdomen, unusual or heavy vaginal discharge, unusual bleeding, pain during sex, fever with chills, pain, frequent urination, nausea and vomiting, and foul vaginal discharge. The most common causes of pelvic inflammatory disease are gonorrhea or chlamydia infections. However, it can also be caused by bacterial infections when the normal barrier created by the cervix is disturbed during menstruation, after childbirth, miscarriage, or abortion.

Pelvic inflammatory disease can be diagnosed through medical history, physical examination, pelvic examination, blood test, urine test, ultrasound, laparoscopy, and endometrial biopsy. Furthermore, treatment options for pelvic inflammatory disease are antibiotics, treatment for the STI partner, and temporary abstinence (avoiding sexual intercourse).

What are the Similarities Between Endometriosis and Pelvic Inflammatory Disease?

Endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease are two reproductive system diseases of women.
Both diseases can involve the pelvic area.
They show common symptoms such as pain, nausea, vomiting, etc.
Both diseases cause complications.
Both diseases can be diagnosed through pelvic examinations and ultrasound.
They can be treated through specific medications.

What is the Difference Between Endometriosis and Pelvic Inflammatory Disease?

Endometriosis is a disease caused by the presence of tissue resembling endometrium outside the uterus, while the pelvic inflammatory disease is an infection of the reproductive organs of a woman. Thus, this is the key difference between endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease. Furthermore, endometriosis is caused by retrograde menstruation, transformation of peritoneal cells, embryonic cell transformation, surgical scar implantation, endometrial cell transport, and immune system disorder. On the other hand, pelvic inflammatory disease is caused by gonorrhea or chlamydia infections and bacterial infections when the cervix is disturbed during menstruation, after childbirth, miscarriage, or abortion.

The below infographic presents the differences between endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Endometriosis vs Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

Endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease are two reproductive system diseases of women. Endometriosis is the presence of tissue resembling endometrium outside the uterus. Pelvic inflammatory disease is an infection of the reproductive organs of a woman. So, this is the key difference between endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease.

Reference:

1. “Endometriosis.” Johns Hopkins Medicine.
2. “Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID).” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Blausen 0349 Endometriosis” By Blausen.com staff (2014). “Medical gallery of Blausen Medical 2014&” WikiJournal of Medicine 1 (2). DOI:10.15347/wjm/2014.010. ISSN 2002-4436. – Own work (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Blausen 0719 Pelvic Inflammatory Disease” By Blausen.com staff (2014). “Medical gallery of Blausen Medical 2014”. WikiJournal of Medicine 1 (2). DOI:10.15347/wjm/2014.010. ISSN 2002-4436. – Own work (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia