A new validated screening method for endometriosis diagnosis based on patient questionnaires
Charles Chapron1,2,3, Marie-Christine Lafay-Pillet2, Pietro Santulli1,2,3
1Université de Paris, Faculté de Santé, Faculté de Médicine Paris Centre, Paris, France.
Eclinicalmedicine
|January 21, 2022
Summary
A new scoring system using patient questionnaires can help identify individuals at high risk for endometriosis. This approach may streamline referrals for non-surgical imaging and diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Gynecology
- Medical Diagnostics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Delayed diagnosis of endometriosis significantly impacts patient health and outcomes.
- A long interval exists between symptom onset and definitive endometriosis diagnosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a predictive score for endometriosis risk based on patient-reported symptoms.
- To improve early identification of patients requiring further investigation for endometriosis.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study compared clinical and epidemiological data from a pre-operative questionnaire between endometriosis patients and controls.
- Two predictive scores were developed using logistic regression, with Score 2 excluding certain pain measures.
- Scores were evaluated using the C-index and validated internally and externally.
Main Results:
- Score 1 achieved a C-index of 0.81, with high specificity (91%) for scores ≥25 and high sensitivity (91%) for scores <11.
- Score 2 demonstrated a C-index of 0.75, with high sensitivity (92%) for scores <7.
- Both scores showed good performance in internal and external validation populations.
Conclusions:
- A patient questionnaire-based score can effectively identify populations at high risk for endometriosis.
- This tool may facilitate timely referral to specialized radiologists for non-surgical endometriosis assessment.
Keywords:
Clinical diagnosisClinical scoreEndometriosisExternal validationLmaging work-upMultivariate regression analysisNew paradigmQuestionnaire
