title: Invasive and noninvasive methods for the diagnosis of endometriosis.
abstract: Endometriosis has been associated with pain and infertility. The gold standard for the diagnosis of endometriosis has been visual inspection by laparoscopy, preferably with histologic confirmation. Because there is no good noninvasive test for endometriosis, there is often a significant delay in diagnosis of this disease. Imaging that confirms an endometriotic cyst or deep infiltrating endometriosis may help guide surgical therapeutic approaches. No serum marker has been found to diagnose endometriosis with adequate sensitivity and specificity. There has been a recent focus on the presence of nerve fibers in the eutopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis.
authors.affiliation: Program in Reproductive and Adult Endocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Albert L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Izabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Khachikyan
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stratton
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers; D001706:Biopsy; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D019160:Endosonography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D011247:Pregnancy; D014621:Vagina / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers