MRI imaging in endometriosis: personal study and pictorial review

R. O. Chistol, C. Furnica, M. M. Leon

Abstract: Endometriosis represents a frequently encountered pathology of the women at reproductive age that corresponds to the ectopic development of endometrial glands outside the uterine cavity. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the efficiency of MRI imaging in diagnosing endometriotic lesions. The current study was performed during September 2011 - January 2012 on a total of 38 patients that underwent an 1.5T examination for endometriosis suspected at clinical or ultrasound examination. MRI diagnosed endometriosis in 26 out of the 38 patients, adenomyosis associated to endometriosis in two cases, adenomyosis not associated to endometriosis in one case, abdominal wall endometriotic implant associated to endometriosis in one case and no endometriosis lesions in eight cases. MRI is a method that can realize an accurate presurgical mapping of all localizations of endometriosis. A correct and complete interpretation of the MRI examination facilitates an adapted surgical treatment. The originality of the current study consists in reevaluating the diagnostic criteria for adenomyosis, describing the association of deep endometriosis with uterine adenomyosis and reconsidering the MRI protocol for research of endometriotic lesions.
Keywords: adenomyosis, endometriosis, endometrioma, endometriotic implants, MRI