Endometriosis: Diagnosing the debilitating condition
In remarks this week to members of Congress and their staff, Dr. Wendaline VanBuren, a Mayo Clinic radiologist who specializes in gynecologic imaging, discussed the importance of research in improving early detection and diagnoses of endometriosis, including through medical imaging.
Endometriosis is often a painful disorder in which tissue similar to the tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus grows outside the uterus. It’s estimated that 1 in 10 women of reproductive age have endometriosis. Despite this serious condition affecting millions of women, it’s notoriously difficult to diagnose.
Endometriosis symptoms, like pain, can be hard to pinpoint, identify or diagnose accurately because of their similarity to other conditions. Dr. VanBuren says high-quality, dedicated imaging for endometriosis is an excellent tool for diagnostic evaluation.
Dr. Wendaline VanBuren specializes in gynecologic imaging. She says different patterns of endometriosis mean there’s more than one way to diagnose the disease.
Although it can sometimes be seen on imaging, superficial disease requires laparoscopic surgery for definitive diagnosis. If the endometriosis is growing into organs in the pelvis or abdomen, that’s called deep disease, and surgery may not be needed for diagnosis.
Processes in the body, such as hormones and inflammation, can affect the appearance of endometriosis differently based on location and cell type.
Dr. VanBuren says high-quality, dedicated imaging for endometriosis is an excellent tool for diagnostic evaluation.
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