Delayed endometriosis diagnosis is common because symptoms mimic other conditions. Discover how expert care leads to accurate results.
Send us all your questions or requests, and our expert team will assist you.
Why Is Endometriosis Diagnosis Often Delayed?
Diagnosing endometriosis is often difficult and delayed, with many women waiting years for a definitive diagnosis. Symptoms vary widely and can resemble conditions like IBS, pelvic inflammatory disease, or normal menstrual pain. Societal normalization of severe period pain also causes many women to delay seeking care.
Accurate diagnosis starts with a specialist who listens and validates your experience. Rather than relying on a single test, diagnosis involves combining medical history, physical examination, and advanced imaging to fully understand the condition.
Medical History and Symptom Mapping
Evaluation begins with a detailed discussion. The doctor asks about your menstrual cycle, pain location and timing, daily impact, pain during intercourse or bowel movements, and family history of endometriosis.
Mapping the pain is crucial. Whether pain is sharp or dull, constant or cyclic, helps estimate lesion location and guides the rest of the evaluation.
The Pelvic Examination
Next is a pelvic exam, where the doctor checks for ovarian cysts, scarring, or reduced uterine mobility, which may suggest adhesions.
While findings like tenderness or nodules can provide clues, a normal exam does not rule out endometriosis, as small or deep lesions may be missed.
Transvaginal ultrasound is the primary imaging tool to evaluate the uterus and ovaries. It is especially effective in detecting ovarian endometriomas.
With advanced techniques and expert interpretation, ultrasound may also identify deep infiltrating endometriosis affecting the bowel, bladder, or uterine ligaments, aiding surgical planning.
If ultrasound is inconclusive or deep disease is suspected, MRI may be used. It offers detailed views of soft tissues and helps map disease extent before surgery.
MRI assists surgeons in planning treatment and involving other specialists when organs like the bowel or bladder are affected.
Laparoscopy: The Gold Standard
Laparoscopy remains the definitive diagnostic method. A small camera inserted through the navel allows direct visualization of the pelvic organs.
During the procedure, suspicious lesions are identified and confirmed by biopsy. Often, endometriosis can be treated and removed during the same surgery.
Precision Diagnosis at Liv Hospital
At Liv Hospital, we aim to shorten the time to diagnosis and relieve the frustration of unexplained pain. Our gynecology team uses high-resolution ultrasound and specialists trained to detect deep infiltrating endometriosis.
We follow a comprehensive diagnostic approach rather than relying on a single method. When surgery is needed, advanced 3D and robotic visualization systems help identify even the smallest lesions. We ensure every patient receives a clear, accurate explanation to support informed care decisions.
Send us all your questions or requests, and our expert team will assist you.
Doctors can suspect endometriosis using symptoms, exams, and imaging, but laparoscopy is needed for a definitive diagnosis.
An endometrioma is an ovarian cyst filled with old blood, often indicating moderate to severe endometriosis and visible on ultrasound.
No. Ultrasound may miss small or superficial lesions, even when symptoms are significant.
No. CA-125 levels can be normal or elevated for reasons unrelated to endometriosis and are not diagnostic.
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