Endometriosis - Diagnosis

Staging Endometriosis

During laparoscopy, the surgeon determines the number, size, and location of endometrial implants and adhesions. This information helps rank endometriosis by the extent of the disease and give the likelihood of infertility:

• Minimal (stage I)
• Mild (stage II)
• Moderate (stage III)
• Severe (stage IV)

A number of experts do not believe these categories are useful, because they often do not relate to the intensity of the pain nor to treatment success rates.

Some experts believe it is more accurate to further categorize endometriosis by the depth of penetration:

• Superficial Endometriosis. Endometriosis that lies more on the surface is more highly associated with infertility than deep implants.
• Infiltrative Endometriosis. Implants deeper than 5 to 6 mm; deep implants are believed to be the best indicator of progression and severe symptoms.