Hormonal and immunologic methods in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with benign ovarian tumors and endometriotic cysts.

OBJECTIVE: To compare efficacy of various methods for characterizing endometriosis and benign ovarian tumors.

DESIGN: Two parallel groups of patients, 54 with endometriotic ovarian cysts and 48 with benign tumors.

SETTING: Central clinic.

PATIENTS: Patients referred from all regions over a 5-year period.

OUTCOME MEASURES: Estrogen Estrogen and progesterone receptor levels of endometrium and endometriotic foci, CA-125 concentration, and estradiol, progesterone, LH, and testosterone blood levels.

RESULTS: LH levels elevated during follicular phase in patients; estradiol levels reduced; receptor levels abnormal in endometriosis, but not in benign ovarian cysts.

CONCLUSIONS: Hormone therapy is adequate treatment for endometriotic cysts. CA-125 is not a reliable indicator for differential diagnosis.