Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging for the Intraoperative Detection of Endometriosis: A Pilot Study

Endometriosis surgery is associated with a high risk of reoperation due to an insufficient recognition of endometriotic lesions. Our aim was to explore the role of near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging for the visualization and identification of endometriotic lesions next to conventional white light (WL) laparoscopy.

Fifteen women scheduled for diagnostic laparoscopy in whom peritoneal endometriosis was suspected were included. Peritoneal exploration was performed in WL, followed by NIRF imaging after ICG administration. Biopsies of all the suspected lesions were taken for histological examination. Subjective evaluations of the equipment and NIRF imaging were also performed.

Only 61% (44) of the biopsied lesions contained endometriosis. The positive predictive value (PPV) for the lesions found in WL was 64%. The PPV for the lesions found under NIRF was 69% and the PPV for the lesions found in both modes was 61%. The mean satisfaction of surgeons regarding the surgical procedure and equipment using both imaging modalities was 6.5 (p > 0.05) on a 10 item Likert scale and the mean satisfaction with the quality of the NIRF imaging was 7.4 (p > 0.05).

In this study, the additional value of NIRF imaging, although feasible, was found to be limited for the intraoperative detection of endometriotic lesions.