← Issue №9/ week of Aug 30, 2026/IBD

Dyspareunia and heavy menstrual bleeding as clinical predictors of concomitant endometriosis in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A multidisciplinary prospective study.

From GI Signals issue №9: what this paper found, what it changes, and where it sits against the current standard of care, reviewed by Simon Mathews, MD.

IBD prospective cohort · n=82 · Aug 24, 2026 · Dig Liver Dis · IF 4.2

Dyspareunia and heavy menstrual bleeding as clinical predictors of concomitant endometriosis in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A multidisciplinary prospective study.

New evidence
Clinical takeawayScreen fertile young IBD patients (age 18-53) with dyspareunia or heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) for endometriosis using transvaginal ultrasonography (TVUS), considering the potential limitations and patient discomfort associated with the procedure.
What it foundDyspareunia and heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) were independent risk factors for endometriosis in IBD patients (OR 4.7 [1.6-13.9] and 4.3 [1.4-12.9], respectively).
ContextEndometriosis, particularly deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE), is highly underestimated in IBD. This study identifies dyspareunia and HMB as specific symptoms (OR 4.7 [1.6-13.9] and 4.3 [1.4-12.9], respectively) to prompt screening in fertile young IBD patients.
Emergingsuggested applicable standard· ACG Clinical Guideline Update: Ulcerative Colitis in Adults, Am J Gastroenterol 2025;120(6):1187-1224; AGA Living Guideline on Pharmacological Management of Moderate-to-Severe UC, Gastroenterology 2024 (panel review March 2026, no changes)

Decision at stakeidentifying endometriosis in IBD patients

No single passage of this standard matched the paper closely enough to quote, so none is shown. The standard is cited above.

Our full summary of this standard

Confirm ulcerative colitis with endoscopy showing continuous colonic inflammation from the rectum plus histology, after excluding infection with two-step CDI testing. Treat mild-moderate disease with 5-ASA by route and extent (suppository for proctitis, enema for left-sided, oral plus rectal for extensive); if 5-ASA fails, treat as moderate-to-severe rather than stepping up gradually. Position advanced therapy by EFFICACY TIER, not by an anti-TNF-first rule. Advanced-therapy-naive, higher efficacy: infliximab, vedolizumab, ozanimod, etrasimod, upadacitinib, risankizumab, guselkumab; intermediate: golimumab, ustekinumab, tofacitinib, filgotinib, mirikizumab; lower: adalimumab. PREVIOUSLY TNF-EXPOSED, higher efficacy: tofacitinib, upadacitinib, ustekinumab; lower: adalimumab, vedolizumab, ozanimod, etrasimod - S1P modulators are weakest in exactly this group. Do not cycle within the anti-TNF class after primary non-response; switch mechanism. Apply treat-to-target (STRIDE-II) to endoscopic improvement (MES 0-1). Screen for acute severe UC by Truelove-Witts and admit for IV steroids. Begin CRC surveillance 8-10 years after DIAGNOSIS for extensive or left-sided disease; isolated proctitis follows average-risk screening.

ACG Clinical Guideline Update: Ulcerative Colitis in Adults, Am J Gastroenterol 2025;120(6):1187-1224; AGA Living Guideline on Pharmacological Management of Moderate-to-Severe UC, Gastroenterology 2024 (panel review March 2026, no changes) ↗
Neri B … Biancone L · Digestive and Liver Disease : Official Journal of the Italian Society of Gastroenterology and the Italian Association for the Study of the Liver · IF 4.2 · PubMed ↗Permalink
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