Symptoms, diagnosis… How to detect endometriosis, a chronic gynecological disease

Health – Like one in ten menstruators, Lori Pester suffers from endometriosis, a chronic gynecological disease. If the singer and actress has already talked about this pathology in a televised documentary, now she returns to her experience in a book. “Revive”, Edition published by Robert Lafont, this Thursday March 21.

Endometriosis affects 1.5 to 2.5 million people in France, according to the Ministry of Health, but diagnosis is very difficult. To understand the causes, we must first understand what happens in the body of a person suffering from this disease.

Four forms of endometriosis

As we explain in the video at the top of the article, the lining of the uterus, called the endometrium, thickens each month to accommodate the embryo. In the absence of fertilization, the endometrium disintegrates and is shed. These are the rules.

But when you suffer from endometriosis, something else happens. Endometrium-like cells settle outside the uterus. They are usually present in the abdomen, and may also affect the ovaries, fallopian tubes, or intestines. Except that these cells are also sensitive to hormone production during the menstrual cycle and bleed during menstruation. This phenomenon causes lesions on the organs where they are installed and hence pain, which is sometimes difficult to bear.

Endometriosis can take many forms. First there is superficial endometriosis, which occurs in the peritoneum; Endometriosis is called “deep” when the cells are numerous and cause lesions deeper than 5mm. We talk about endometrioma when the ovary is affected, forming a cyst. Finally, we talk about adenomyosis when lesions are present in the uterus. It is this last form that Lori suffers from.

The problem of diagnosis

How to identify the disease? The most common symptom remains pain. This usually occurs during menstruation or during sexual intercourse and can become chronic. Depending on the location of the endometrial cells in the body, this disease can cause digestive or urinary disorders, but also infertility.

But one problem remains: diagnosis. “Today there is no screening technique for the disease, Identifies Insurm on its site, For women at risk or in the general population. » A journey to many seats awaits women.

You should first have a clinical examination by a general practitioner or gynecologist, then a pelvic ultrasound to detect the possible presence of ovarian cysts. Finally, an MRI or biopsy may also be done to look for deeper lesions. Insurm states that it takes an average of 6 to 10 years to make a diagnosis.

Last January, the High Authority for Health (HAS) proposed that some women could have access to saliva testing. promising » The aim is to diagnose the disease, but it awaits additional studies before possible widespread returns. Research into understanding disease factors is another challenge.

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