FOCUS Online health editorial team
Do you have severe menstrual pain and suspect endometriosis? This disease is often recognized late. It is all the more important to consult a doctor in the event of symptoms so that the right treatment can begin as quickly as possible. Focus Online explains how the doctor can test for the disease.
1st step: going to the doctor
If you suspect that you have endometriosis, it is important to see a gynecologist.
Your gynecologist will first collect information about your medical history. This is what doctors call anamnesis. The doctor will ask you the following questions, among others:
What complaints do you have? For example, do you have severe pain during your period or pain during or after intercourse? How long have you had these symptoms? How do these symptoms affect your everyday life or your relationship? B. your mother or sister, already cases of endometriosis?
It is quite possible that endometriosis does not cause any symptoms and is therefore only discovered by chance, for example when a woman is medically examined because she cannot have children.
Unfortunately, there is currently no special blood test or similar simple method to diagnose endometriosis with certainty. Therefore, other diagnostic methods are necessary.
2nd step: gynecological examination
After the anamnesis follows a gynecological examination. To do this, the doctor feels different parts of the body, such as the abdomen, vagina, the area around the cervix and the rectum (the part of the intestine in front of the anus). He will look for signs of endometriosis, such as: B. pain, hardening and connections between the organs, so-called adhesions.
3rd step: Ultrasound examination
An ultrasound examination, which is carried out via the abdominal wall and also transvaginally (through the vagina), can provide the doctor with further important information. In this way, larger areas of endometriosis, cysts and adhesions can be made visible.
An ultrasound scan through the vagina is particularly helpful, among other things, to detect cysts in the ovaries. If there is a suspicion of endometriosis in the uterine wall (medically known as adenomyosis), this ultrasound examination is also used.
If the doctor suspects that the urinary tract may be affected by endometriosis, they will also do an ultrasound scan of the kidneys. Endometriosis can narrow the tubes through which urine flows (ureters). This allows urine to back up in the kidneys and damage them.
4th step: histological examination
Usually, if the doctor suspects endometriosis, they will also take a tissue sample from suspected areas. This is examined in the laboratory under the microscope (histological examination). This sample is usually taken during a laparoscopy. This can confirm whether it is actually endometriosis or another disease that may also be malignant.
5th step: further examination methods as required
In some cases it may be necessary to carry out further investigations. This may be an examination of the bladder (cystoscopy) or an examination of the lower bowel (colonoscopy or rectoscopy). In rare cases, other imaging methods such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used in addition to ultrasound.
Important NOTE: This is general information only. We do not claim to be complete. If you suspect endometriosis, please consult a doctor immediately. This information can never replace the advice of a doctor.