Endometriosis

In many cases, an endometriosis diagnosis will start with your symptoms. Painful and heavy periods might cause you to reach out to a healthcare provider. At your appointment, the provider (a gynecologist) may start by asking you for your medical history and if any other people in your biological family have endometriosis. They’ll perform a pelvic exam. Then, they may order imaging tests like an ultrasound or MRI.

What tests diagnose endometriosis?

The only way to definitively diagnose endometriosis is with a laparoscopy. This procedure involves your healthcare provider using a small camera (laparoscope) to look inside your pelvis. Once they see where the tissue is, they can remove a sample of tissue (biopsy) and send it to a lab for testing.

The surgeon will also try to remove or destroy all tissue that is suspicious of endometriosis that they find during this procedure. In this way, a laparoscopy helps with diagnosis and treatment. Sometimes, the location of endometriotic lesions may make it hard to remove without damaging the underlying critical structures. This operation may require an intervention from a team of surgeons such as minimally invasive gynecologists, colorectal surgeons or urologists.

Sometimes, you find endometriosis by accident. Not all people who have endometriosis will experience symptoms. In these cases, your provider might discover the condition during a different procedure.