If you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, your doctor or health care practitioner may choose one or several ways to try to find the source of your pain.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a perfect test for diagnosing endometriosis, and it can be very difficult for some to get a diagnosis because of this. To diagnose endometriosis, your doctor may use one or more of the following approaches:
Pelvic exam: the doctor uses their fingers to feel inside the pelvis for any growths. It can be difficult to feel endometriosis areas unless there are significant amounts of scar tissue or large cysts present at the time of the exam.
Ultrasound: the same type of machine that lets pregnant people see their baby in the womb can also be used to create an image of cysts. The doctor may either place a wand over the abdomen or inside the vagina.
MRI: magnetic resonance imaging sends radio waves through the body to create a detailed picture of organs and tissues. These pictures can be especially useful for mapping out the exact location of scarring if you already have surgery planned to remove endometrial tissue.
Laparoscopy: this is a more invasive method that involves surgically inserting a fiber-optic instrument through the abdomen to view inside and look for endometrial tissue. Often laparoscopy happens at the same time as surgery to remove overgrown tissue.
