New scan technology could reduce diagnostic time for endometriosis

Endometriosis impacts one in 10 women in Ireland

The technique uses specialised CT scans, which are combined with a molecular tracer that can detect areas of early endometriosis. The condition is often missed by conventional MRI or ultrasound scans.

According to the HSE, endometriosis is defined as "a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb starts to grow in other places", such as the ovaries or the lining of the stomach. The condition is long-term and can impact people on different levels.

Symptoms of endometriosis can be severe and wide-ranging, and include heavy bleeding, painful periods and extreme tiredness or fatigue.

Right now, it takes an average of nine years to be diagnosed with endometriosis, as the condition's symptoms often mimic other illnesses.

Women with endometriosis often undergo several tests and scans that do not always pick up on the disease, such as ultrasounds and MRI scans, Dr Tatjana Gibbons, lead researcher on the study, explained to the BBC.

"This means many struggle with symptoms, despite being told they have normal imaging results."

"Getting a diagnosis earlier can help people make decisions and plans about their life," she added.

The only way to be officially diagnosed with the condition right now is through a laparoscopy. During this surgery, small incisions are made in the abdomen, where endometriosis tissue can then be cut out. However, being scheduled for this surgery can take years of appointments.

The new study aims to reduce this wait time and introduce a less invasive diagnostic procedure. In the study, 19 people with endometriosis had the new specialised scan, with the molecular tracer injection known as maraciclatide.

The tracer is designed to attach to areas where new blood vessels are forming, which is thought to be a key part of early endometriosis growth.

This correctly detected the presence or absence of endometriosis in 16 women, and correctly diagnosed 14 cases that were later confirmed by surgery.

Dr Gibbons said the findings of this study are "exciting".

The new scan technique "offers a highly promising diagnostic and monitoring tool, particularly for superficial peritoneal endometriosis [an early form of the disease], which is the most common and yet the hardest type of endometriosis to identify", she continued.

Dr Lucy Whitaker, gynaecologist and researcher at the University of Edinburgh, said there is a "desperate need for new non-invasive imaging techniques".

"This is a really exciting preliminary data that needs further studies. If confirmed, that gives us a real opportunity to intervene at an earlier stage, and help people get a diagnosis and potentially consider treatment earlier on."

This advancement in endometriosis research could have a role in investigating how the condition changes over time.

The new BBC documentary, Emma Barnett: Fighting Endometriosis, airs tomorrow night at 11:30pm on BBC 2.