How is endometriosis diagnosed?
The gold standard to diagnose endometriosis is by laparoscopy, a surgical procedure in which a thin scope is placed through the belly button into the abdomen to view the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes directly. While a biopsy of the lesion does document the presence of endometrial tissue, the gross appearance of endometriosis and visual inspection of the pelvis is also considered adequate and accurate for diagnosis of endometriosis. Surgeons can videotape the laparoscopy for documentation and this can be reviewed at a later date if there are any questions. Ultrasounds, MRIs, CT Scans and other diagnostic tests are not conclusive for the diagnosis of endometriosis.
A physician can only definitively diagnose endometriosis using a surgical procedure called laparoscopy. During this minor outpatient surgical procedure, a slender light-transmitting microscope, the laparoscope, is inserted through a tiny incision in the abdomen, often the navel so the scar will be invisible. Before insertion of the laparoscope, the abdomen is filled with carbon dioxide or nitrous oxide to help separate the intestines from the pelvic organs. This way, organ surfaces are viewed easily and the physician can check the size and extent of endometrial growths. This method also allows the physician to rule out other conditions with similar symptoms, such as ovarian cancer.
