Condition Specific Radiology: Endometriosis (Deep Penetrating)

OVERVIEW

This page is dedicated to covering how endometriosis (deep penetrating) will appear on different types of imaging studies.

Image source
BASIC CHARACTERISTICS

Fundamentally, endometriosis refers to the presence of endometrial tissue that is outside the uterine cavity.

Here are some general features of this condition that might be appreciated across modalities:

  • Fusion of uterus with other structures (bowel, ovaries)
ULTRASOUND

Key features of the appearance of this condition on this imaging modality are:

  • Fusion of uterus with other structures (bowel, ovaries): this will be most apparent on transvaginal ultrasound when a clip is taken while pressure is applied to the cervix with the probe, or to the abdomen with the hands. Structures will move with the uterus (instead of sliding smoothly past it) because endometrial tissue has fused these structures together.  

Click on the thumbnails below to see examples of deep penetrating endometriosis on trasnvaginal ultrasound:

 

 

 

Page Updated: 02.19.2018