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Endometriosis - Diagnosis


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Biologic Markers for Endometriosis

Investigators are studying certain chemicals detected in blood tests that may prove to help diagnose endometriosis and so avoid invasive diagnostic procedures in many women. Among the most studied to date are CA-125 and CA19-9, which are both elevated in women severe endometriosis. Higher levels of both occur in many other diseases, however, including ovarian cancer, so results using this test alone do not provide enough information for a definitive diagnosis of endometriosis.

Staging Endometriosis


During laparoscopy, the surgeon determines the number, size, and location of endometrial implants and adhesions and uses this information to rank endometriosis by the extent of the disease and so the likelihood of infertility:
  • Minimal (stage I)
  • Mild (stage II)
  • Moderate (stage III)
  • Severe (stage IV)

A number of experts do not believe these categories are useful, because they often do not relate to the intensity of the pain nor even to treatment success rates.

Some experts believe it would be more accurate to further categorize endometriosis by the depth of penetration:
  • Superficial Endometriosis. Endometriosis that lies more on the surface is more highly associated with infertility than deep implants.
  • Infiltrative Endometriosis. Implants deeper than 5 to 6 mm; deep implants are believed to be the best indicator of progression and severe symptoms.
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