Radiological Diagnostics in Patients With Deep Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a benign, chronic, recurrent disease characterised by the presence of endometrial glands and stroma outside the uterine cavity. A non-negligible proportion of patients, 2-37%, are affected by deep endometriosis (DIE), defined as the pathology's involvement of the muscular tunic propria of the abdomino-pelvic organs.

From a therapeutic point of view, a medical or surgical approach is possible. The choice is influenced by several factors, such as the patient's age, reproductive desire, the extent of symptoms, the size and location of the endometriosis lesions, and the presence of organ damage. Although the surgical approach brings satisfactory results in terms of symptom reduction and improved fertility, the risk of complications can be very high, especially in the case of DIE, as bladder, rectal and sexual function can be compromised due to iatrogenic damage to the autonomic fibres that innervate the pelvic organs. Recently, the concept of 'nerve-sparing' surgery has been extended to gynaecology, and in particular to surgery for the treatment of endometriosis, showing encouraging results in terms of both symptom control and functional outcome.

In recent years, nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMR) has been increasingly helpful in the diagnosis of endometriosis and adenomyosis and is increasingly used in pre-operative planning.