Endometriosis is typically tricky to diagnose. Women often live with the symptoms for years before receiving an accurate diagnosis. As with any condition, it all starts with monitoring symptoms and seeing a doctor if they persist. Some doctors brush off the symptoms due to medical gender bias, leaving women struggling as their symptoms often worsen. The typical methods of diagnosis range from physical examinations to more invasive forms. Nowadays, however, ultrasound technology has progressed, offering doctors a new method for diagnosis. So, what kind of ultrasound is done to check for endometriosis?
Traditional Endometriosis Diagnostic Methods
Before doctors started looking to ultrasound to diagnose endometriosis, just four methods were used. Doctors typically begin with the least invasive diagnostic methods, although this varies from patient to patient, depending on the severity of the case and the symptoms experienced by the woman.
How do doctors diagnose endometriosis?
- During a pelvic exam, the doctor will feel for abnormalities such as scars and cysts. This method is unlikely to uncover small areas of endometriosis.
- CT scans offer better imaging than x-rays which help detect abnormalities.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is another non-invasive imaging method which harnesses magnetic fields and radio waves to create more detailed imagery of the tissues and organs.
- A laparoscopy is often seen as the last resort to detecting endometriosis as it involves surgery. The doctor will create a small incision near the navel where they will insert the laparoscope to view the tissue. This method is used to locate the endometriosis and assess its size and severity of it. The doctor may conduct a biopsy at the same time.
Ultrasound To Detect Endometriosis
A newer method known simply as an ‘endometriosis ultrasound’ is now being used as another non-invasive diagnostic tool for endometriosis. As with standard ultrasound technology, an ’endometriosis’ ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images of the pelvic area, organs, and surrounding tissue. This means your endometriosis sonologist/sonographer can visualise not only the uterus and ovaries but other structrues like the bowel and urinary tract to assess for signs of deep endometriosis. The doctor or sonographer will conduct the ultrasound using an internal (transvaginal) method; there is NO NEED FOR BOWEL PREP when our experts perform your ‘endometriosis ultrasound’. As a result, the doctor is able to plan potential surgeries and rule out endometriosis before initiating fertility treatment. When planning potential surgery, the ‘endometriosis ultrasound’ informs your treating gynaecologist (before the operation) if they will need the expertise of a colorectal and/or urologist for you surgery.
Do You Need an Endometriosis Ultrasound?
Usually, your doctor will refer you to a specialist who will decide whether you are a good candidate for an ‘endometriosis ultrasound’. During the consultation, you will have a physical examination, and the specialist doctor will base their decision on the symptoms you have been experiencing.
Endometriosis symptoms to look out for:
- Heavy periods
- Shorter cycles between periods
- Painful periods which do not respond to pain medication and anti-inflammatories
- Bleeding between periods
- Chronic pelvic pain
- Gastrointestinal disturbances such as constipation, bloating, nausea, and vomiting
- Painful sex
- Reduced fertility
- Fatigue or lethargy
- Painful bowel actions
- Painful urination
10% of women are affected by endometriosis, so there’s no reason to wait or ignore your symptoms. With a proper diagnosis and the help of a specialist doctor, you can live your life unhindered by the chronic symptoms of endometriosis.
