How effective are MRIs?

[ckhane]

Hello everyone!

I was wondering if anyone happened to know how effective MRIs are for showing endometrial lesions. I hope you have a wonderful day and thank you for your time!

[EndoJaz]

Waiting for my results, takes a month apparently. Appt 29th. Will see what comes back. Apparently only the deep endo can be seen on them??

[luthien]

Hi, an MRI may show endo, but it also sometimes doesn't as it can look the same as normal tissue. It may show adhesions and scarring; the damage endo has done to stick organs together.

An MRI shouldn't be used as a diagnosis for endo because of the above. The only formal recognised diagnosis for endo is a laparoscopy with an endo specialist; the endo needs to be visibly seen and an endo specialist will know what to look for and where.

Check out the NICE website for endometriosis guidelines that should be followed; just search "NICE endometriosis" in google. also have a look at the Endometriosis UK charity website for info.

[Sez1988-]

I was told before that an MRI can but not always show big deposits of endometriosis and that it was up to me as it wasn't an official diagnosis anyway, so I never bothered having one as at the time the symptoms weren't so bad. It's definitely not a guarantee, the only way to know where it is as far as I'm aware is the laparoscopy.

Hopefully this blood test for diagnosing endometriosis that has been developed will be available on the NHS soon, it's certainly less traumatic for us than surgery.

[Moonglo in reply to Sez1988-]

This blood test doesn’t exist. Endometriosis UK have confirmed this xx

[Sez1988- in reply to Moonglo]

What this one that has just been reported on? news.sky.com/story/new-bloo...

They're saying it's going to be private at first but then hoping the NHS will pick it up. I haven't seen anything saying it's not legit, I'm hoping it is seeing as all the big news outlets have reported on it.

[Moonglo in reply to Sez1988-]

Have a look at this:

endometriosis-uk.org/news/f...

[Sez1988- in reply to Moonglo]

Thanks for the link, not seen that.

I do still have hope though as the report about the blood test was quite detailed, even if it isn't a big thing now, I still hope that it'll come to something once its tested wider. And they must be pretty confident to give an availability timescale. I do hope so as we all really do need a non surgical way of diagnosing it, I know I'm terrified of having my laparoscopy!

[Moonglo in reply to Sez1988-]

Is this your first lap? I’ve had 3 - they’re not fun, but I made sure to rest and recuperate. I’m also a total wimp with needles and hate being poked and prodded in unspeakable places but you get used to it, don’t you?

I’d just take those reports with a pinch of salt at the moment. These things could take years but you need to investigate with what’s available now. Hopefully this will help you find answers and make it worthwhile xx

[michrose2]

Before I went for it, my gyno told me MRIs can show endo, but not always. Go into it knowing that, so you don't get upset and discouraged with your results. For me, MRI showed endometriosis in multiple spots, but I did mine in Paris with (luckily) the top endo specialist.

Now that I'm back in the UK, experts have looked over my MRI and tell me they see nothing, even though I'm diagnosed with endo, so tbh it can be all about who looks at your MRI results and what they see, expert or not.

Good luck!

[ckhane]

Thank you all for replying!