Endometriosis: Diagnosis Could Avert Surgery

Transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) was found to be beneficial in deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) and ovarian endometriosis diagnosis. Endometriosis, a chronic painful condition affects 10% of women globally.

Endometriosis, a chronic painful condition affects 10% of women globally. There are three types of endometriosis, namely, peritoneal, ovarian, and deep infiltrating endometriosis. Keyhole surgery is the standard diagnosis method but comes with its risks and delays.

"Undergoing an invasive procedure is stressful, even more so if it proves unnecessary," says the University of South Australia (UniSA) researcher Alison Deslandes, who is exploring alternative diagnosis options for women with deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE), the most severe and challenging type to manage.

Endometriosis - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment
Endometriosis is a chronic painful disorder with endometrial tissue found at abnormal sites such as ovary and tubes. It causes pelvic pain and fertility issues.

‘Transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) was found to be beneficial in deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) and ovarian endometriosis diagnosis.’

The UniSA researcher investigated the accuracy of TVUS and whether sonographers could perform the procedure in an outpatient facility, making it more accessible to women experiencing endometriosis symptoms. TVUS for deep infiltrating endometriosis is found to be a highly valuable and accurate diagnostic tool.

"In cases of DIE, extensive adhesions of the pelvic organs may not be discovered until the time of surgery, often requiring additional specialist surgeons. TVUS is a low cost and readily available imaging technique that could be used to identify more complex conditions, aiding surgery, as well as diagnosing the condition non-invasively."

"We now need to take this a step further to see if sonographers could perform the same procedure as gynecologists to the same level of accuracy. This would reduce diagnostic delays and give women with DIE a non-invasive yet highly accurate diagnostic test," Deslandes says.

Quiz on Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a condition that results in pain associated with menstrual cycle, sexual activity. It is also one of the causes of infertility. Test your knowledge on endometriosis by taking this quiz.

What is Endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a disorder with endometrial tissue found at abnormal sites such as ovary and tubes. It causes pelvic pain and fertility issues. Some of the risk factors associated with endometriosis include nulliparity (never giving birth), pelvic infection, or abnormalities in the uterus.

Endometriosis
Slide animation on Endometriosis explaining symptoms and laparoscopic surgical treatment

Health tips

- Exercise regularly and reduce alcohol and caffeine intake to alleviate the symptoms.
- Consult a gynecologist to monitor the progress of the disease.
- Warm baths and heating pads may help reduce endometrial pain by relaxing the pelvic muscles.

Endometriosis Linked to DNA Changes
Differences in DNA methylation patterns could one day be used to diagnose endometriosis and develop customized treatment plans for patients, said researchers.

Source-Medindia