(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Radiologists may correctly diagnose deep
endometriosis, a disease affecting about 5 million American women, and its
severity through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) prior to surgery, aiding
doctors in distinguishing the most appropriate procedure.
Endometriosis is a painful disease which develops when endometrium, or uterine
tissue, grows outside the uterus. The tissue can attach to other organs such as
the ovaries, fallopian tubes, bowels and bladder. There are two types of the
disease -- superficial and sub peritoneal, and deciphering between the two
through MRI prior to surgery is crucial for surgeons.
Researchers studied 41 women (aged 20 to 46 years) suspected to have
endometriosis. Each woman had an MRI prior to surgery, and the MRI correctly
diagnosed 26 of 27 cases of sub peritoneal, or deep endometriosis, along with
specific locations and levels of severity. The test also identified superficial
cases, allowing for less invasive measures.
SOURCE: Radiology, July 2009
