Endometriosis is a disease in which cells from the uterus (womb) grow in the abdomen, most commonly in the area of the ovaries (ovaries), fallopian tubes (tubes) and around the uterus itself. The endometriosis tissue is subject to the menstrual cycle of the woman, so that associated internal bleeding can occur.
As a result, 70% of affected women experience pelvic pain during menstruation and almost half suffer from chronic pelvic pain; pain during sexual intercourse is also common. Infertility occurs in up to half of those affected.
Our recommendation
An MRI can provide detailed images of the pelvic cavity and detect endometriosis lesions, which enables better treatment planning and consequent pain relief.
Every tenth woman is affected
It is estimated that around 6 to 10% of the female population is affected by endometriosis. In 11% of cases, in women undergoing pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for unrelated reasons, endometriosis lesions are found! The disease primarily affects women aged 30-50, but can also occur in young girls.
The diagnosis is based on the symptoms in combination with medical imaging. It is important to differentiate between diseases with similar symptoms such as pelvic inflammatory disease, intestinal diseases, bladder inflammation (e.g. interstitial cystitis), fibromyalgia, but also malignant tumors of the pelvis.
While the ultrasound examination (US), especially if it is performed transvaginally (via the vagina), can at least provide initial indications of the presence of endometriosis, the conventional US only provides unspecific information in comparison. Endometriosis can often not be distinguished from other diseases. Small endometriosis lesions often do not show up in the US and a negative US does not rule out endometriosis.
This is why invasive laparoscopy is still often recommended today. For this purpose, instruments and an endoscope are inserted into the abdominal cavity through holes in the abdominal wall, under anesthesia.
MRI Substitutes Ultrasound and Endoscopy
Endometriosis is often misdiagnosed and women are often wrongly told that their symptoms are trivial or normal. This is no longer acceptable in the age of MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).
The so-called “endometriosis scan” can detect endometriosis with high sensitivity and specificity. The endometriosis scan is a special type of MRI that uses pulse sequences that are particularly sensitive for the detection of blood and blood breakdown products (hemosiderin). These substances are found particularly frequently in endometriosis lesions, but not in the normal structures of the female pelvis.
