Early Detection and Screening in Endometriosis

Area of Science:

• Reproductive medicine
• Medical imaging
• Diagnostic strategies

Background:

• Endometriosis impacts 1 in 10 reproductive-age women, with delayed diagnosis being common.
• Current guidelines do not recommend population-wide screening for asymptomatic individuals.
• Early detection in symptomatic, high-risk groups is a viable strategy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review evidence for imaging-led diagnostic strategies for early endometriosis detection.
• To describe augmented pelvic ultrasound and MRI's role in disease identification.
• To propose screening program principles applicable to endometriosis diagnosis in enriched populations.

Main Methods:

• Review of evidence supporting imaging-based diagnostic pathways.
• Description of augmented pelvic ultrasound techniques.
• Explanation of MRI applications for disease detection and presurgical mapping.
• Discussion of structured reporting in endometriosis diagnosis.

Main Results:

• Targeted imaging assessment in symptomatic high-risk groups is a feasible approach for early endometriosis detection.
• Augmented pelvic ultrasound and MRI are key imaging modalities for disease identification.
• MRI is valuable for presurgical disease mapping, enhanced by structured reporting.

Conclusions:

• Imaging-led strategies, including augmented pelvic ultrasound and MRI, offer a promising pathway for early endometriosis detection in symptomatic women.
• Applying principles from successful screening programs can facilitate endometriosis diagnosis in enriched populations.
• Structured reporting enhances the utility of MRI for presurgical planning.