Sometimes endometriosis can be mistaken for other health conditions that cause pelvic pain. Don’t delay getting the relief you need.

While no one knows for sure the exact cause of endometriosis, the gynecological specialists at Norton Women’s Care provide a full range of tests and treatment options to diagnosis endometriosis and help relieve your pain.

Endometriosis Diagnostic Testing

• Pelvic exam: Sometimes large cysts or scars behind the uterus can be felt during a pelvic exam, however smaller areas of endometriosis are hard to feel.
• Diagnostic imaging: An ultrasound imaging test may find ovarian cysts caused by endometriosis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can produce a picture of the inside of your body that could show endometrial tissue.
• Surgery: The only sure way to diagnose endometriosis is to look inside the abdomen. This can be done through minor, minimally invasive surgery called laparoscopy. A tiny cut is made in the abdomen, and a thin tube with a light is placed inside to look for growths. Sometimes the doctor can diagnose endometriosis just by seeing the growths. Other times, a small sample of tissue might be taken to view under a microscope.