Endometriosis Staging System
There are different ways to classify the severity of endometriosis.
This determines disease stages by assigning points according to characteristics of the disease.
If indications of endometriosis are seen, a surgeon may be able to make the diagnosis visually.
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Regardless, they will still take a sample of tissue (biopsy) to look at under a microscope.
Depending on the stage of the disease, lesions can vary in appearance, color, and depth.
Stage 2 Endometriosis
Stage 2 endometriosis defines “mild disease.
As the tissue sheds, it collects along with old, thick, brown blood.
Based on the appearance of the blood, ovarian endometriomas are sometimes called “chocolate cysts.”
(They can also form because of the surgeries used to diagnose and treat it.)
For example, when on the reproductive organs, adhesions can make it harder for someone to get pregnant.
Adhesions on the bowel may lead to gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea.
They can grow to be quite large, even as big as a grapefruit.
Small cysts on the back wall of the uterus and rectum may also be found at this stage.
Sometimes,trouble conceivingis the only symptom of endometriosis a person has.
ENZIAN Scale
The ENZIAN classification system was developed to supplement the ASRM numerical scale system.
It classifies deep infiltrating endometriosis based on the location and invasiveness of the lesion.
The EFI system takes into account:
Descriptive Classifications
Endometriosis can also be classified using descriptive categories.
Spread and Symptoms
Cancer starts in one part of the body andspreads to distant organs.
In contrast, endometriosis can be widespread even in the early stages.
There is currently no method to predict which outcome a person with endometriosis will have.
These stages also don’t offer much guidance in terms oftreating endometriosis.
These endometriosis stages are largely based on the number of endometrial implants and their location and depth.
There are other staging methods that can also be used to characterize other aspects endometriosis.
These include the ENZIAN classification system, the endometriosis fertility index (EFI), and other descriptive classifications.
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