Incidence of endometriosis among Japanese women

Abstract

Clinical experience based on gynecologic practice in Hawaii indicated a high incidence of endometriosis among Oriental women. To investigate this impression, a statistical analysis of gynecologic admissions and of diagnoses of endometriosis was performed on the basis of race at three hospitals, two in Hawaii and one in Japan. The result supports the impression that the Japanese female population has a high incidence of endometriosis. Approximately 10% of their gynecologic admissions were for endometriosis. The order of incidence in other racial groups was non-Japanese Oriental, white, and black.