Question:

I was diagnosed with endometriosis 6 years ago and had my right ovary and tube removed. Now this summer I have had severe pain on my left side which the doctors send me for a chest xray and discover pneumonia. My question is can endometriosis spread to the lungs and would it look like “fluid in the lungs” on xrays and CT scans?

Answer:

Endometriosis of the lungs is very rare, but has been known to occur. The most common finding has been coughing up blood prior to or near menses. The chest x-ray findings are variable, but can be normal. It is usually suspected based on symptoms rather than x-ray findings. If you have symptoms consistent with pneumonia and have x-ray findings consistent with this, then pulmonary endometriosis is very unlikely. One of the unique characteristics is that the x-ray findings will change during the cycle as the endometriosis responds to the changing hormones. 

For more information:

Go to the Gynecology health topic.