Background:

Abdominal wall endometriosis is a rare pathological entity. It presents as a tumor with pain, erythema, which worsens with Valsalva maneuvers.

Objective:

To show the experience and results in the management of the department of hernias and abdominal wall in a hospital of second level and to present review of the literature.

Method:

The files of patients treated in the department of hernias and abdominal wall, surgically treated with preoperative clinical and postoperative histopathological diagnosis of abdominal wall endometriosis were taken. The data was described using measures of central tendency and percentages.

Results:

Twenty-nine patients were identified, with an average age of 32.75 years, 68.9% reported cyclic catamenial pain associated with a tumor in the abdominal wall; a preoperative clinical diagnosis of abdominal wall endometriosis was made in 89.75%. Only one patient was reported with histopathological diagnosis of fibrolipoma. The totality of the patients referred cesarean section as previous surgery. No recurrences were reported.

Conclusions:

Abdominal wall endometriosis is the presence of ectopic endometrial tissue in any layer of the abdominal wall. Patients with this diagnosis are referred to the general surgeon presenting a tumor, however, the preoperative diagnosis rate is erroneous in most cases. Abdominal wall ultrasound is useful in diagnosis; tomography and magnetic resonance determine the extent of the disease. The treatment must be related to the extension of the disease and its recurrence is associated with the presence of positive margins.