LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Endometriosis: Laparoscopy
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Endometriosis can be suspected based on the patient’s history, physical exam and ultrasound findings. The only way to make a definitive diagnosis... is to perform a laparoscopy. There is no reliable blood test for endometriosis. A pap smear will not detect endometriosis.
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Endometriosis should be highly suspected in women with severe menstrual cramps who are ... infertile. Laparoscopy, an invasive diagnostic procedure, is the only definitive method for diagnosing endometriosis. However, a trial using one of several hormonal therapies is usually sufficient to confirm or rule out endometriosis. Such drugs include danazol, GnRH agonists, and progestins.
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Diagnosis of endometriosis begins with a gynecologist evaluating the patient's medical history. A complete physical exam, including a pelvic examination, is ... necessary. However, diagnosis of endometriosis is only complete when proven by a laparoscopy, a minor surgical procedure in which a laparoscope (a tube with a light in it) is inserted into a small incision in the abdomen. The laparoscope is moved around the abdomen, which has been distended with carbon dioxide gas to make the organs easier to see. The surgeon can then check the condition of the abdominal organs and see the endometrial implants.
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For many women, simply having a diagnosis of endometriosis brings relief. Diagnosis begins with a gynecologist evaluating a patient's medical history and a complete physical examination including a pelvic exam. A diagnosis of endometriosis can only be certain when the physician performs a laparoscopy (a minor surgical procedure in which a laparoscope, a thin tube with a lens and a light, is inserted into an incision in the abdominal wall. Using the laparoscope to see into the pelvic area, the physician can often determine the locations, extent, and size of the endometrial growths.).
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Pelvic congestion syndrome with large pelvic verocosities which may get worse premenstrually could ... be misdiagnosed as endometriosis. Diagnostic laparoscopy could be very helpful in confirming the diagnosis. Many cases of endometriosis involving the bladder wall are misdiagnosed as chronic urinary tract infection with essentially negative urine cultures. In these cases, cystoscopy (looking into the bladder) and laparoscopy could be very helpful.
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It is not possible to accurately diagnose endometriosis from your symptoms and an internal examination alone. The symptoms of endometriosis vary widely and many of them are easily confused with other gynaecological conditions. An internal examination is rarely conclusive. Therefore, even though your symptoms and an internal examination may strongly suggest that you have endometriosis the diagnosis must always be regarded as uncertain until it has been confirmed by a laparoscopy.
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Laparoscopy