Endometriosis - Diagnosing endometriosis
- Introduction
- Symptoms of endometriosis
- Causes of endometriosis
- Diagnosing endometriosis
- Treating endometriosis
- Complications of endometriosis
- See what the doctor sees with Map of Medicine
If your GP suspects you have endometriosis, they may refer you to a gynaecologist (a specialist in problems affecting the female reproductive system).
It can be difficult to diagnose endometriosis because the symptoms can vary considerably and there are many other conditions that can cause similar symptoms. Your gynaecologist may therefore recommend a number of different tests.
Your gynaecologist will usually ask you about your symptoms, your periods and possibly your sexual activity. They may also carry out an internal pelvic exam to look for signs of other problems that could be responsible for your symptoms.
In some cases, an ultrasound scan may be recommended. This type of scan uses high frequency sound waves to create an image of part of the inside of the body. It can be used to look for cysts in your ovaries that may have been caused by endometriosis, but it is not an accurate test to diagnose endometriosis itself.
Endometriosis can only be confirmed with a surgical examination called a laparoscopy.
Laparoscopy
During a laparoscopy, you will be put to sleep using a general anaesthetic and a special viewing tube with a light on the end (a laparoscope) will be passed into your body through a small cut in your skin at your belly button.
The laparoscope has a tiny camera that transmits images to a video monitor so that the specialist can see any endometriosis tissue inside your tummy.
The specialist will then either take a small sample of tissue (biopsy) for laboratory testing or insert other surgical instruments to treat the endometriosis.
You can usually go home the same day you have a laparoscopy.
See treating endometriosis for more information.
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