This study investigated the desire and its reasons for weight loss, the prevalence of disordered eating patterns and menstrual status, by using written questionnaires and Eating Attitude Test-26 (EAT-26), in Japanese female athletes (n=1000) and nonathletic controls (n=593) . Athletes were divided into the following 6 categories : technical (n=84), endurance I (n=84) and II (n=76), aesthetic (n=120), ball-game (n=447), and power sports (n=189) . Endurance I consisted of athletes competing in sports where leanness were considered important, while endurance II consisted of athletes competing in sports where leanness is less important. In each category, about four fifths of the athletes wanted to reduce their present weight. As to the reasons for weight loss, the athletes, especially those in the categories of endurance I (79%), power (52%) and aesthetic (34%) sports, reported that they prefer to be thin for improving their athletic performance. The prevalence of disordered eating patterns estimated by EAT-26 was significantly higher (P<0.05) in the athletes of endurance I (20%) and aesthetic (12%) groups than in the nonathletic controls (3 %) . In the athletes of these two sporting event categories, higher rates of amenorrhea (endurance I 20% and aesthetic 7 % vs. nonathlets 1 %) were found to be accompanied by lower values of obesity index and BMI. These data indicate a significantly higher prevalence of disordered eating patterns and menstrual dysfunction in the athletes involved in sports where leanness is emphasized, and a close relationship among undernutrition, low body weight and menstrual dysfunction.

Endometriosis, a common chronic inflammatory disease in female of reproductive age, is closely related to patient symptoms and fertility. Because of its high contrast resolution and objectivity, MRI can contribute to the early and accurate diagnosis of ovarian endometriotic cysts and deeply infiltrating endometriosis without the need for any invasive procedure or radiation exposure. The ovaries, which are the most frequent site of endometriosis, can be afflicted by multiple related conditions and diseases. For the diagnosis of deeply infiltrating endometriosis and secondary adhesions among pelvic organs, fibrosis around the ectopic endometrial gland is usually found as a T2 hypointense lesion. This review summarizes the MRI findings obtained for ovarian endometriotic cysts and their physiologically and pathologically related conditions. This article also includes the key imaging findings of deeply infiltrating endometriosis.