Patient's question:
My cousin had her period at school last week and was in severe pain. The school nurse first gave her pain medication and said it might be endometriosis, suggesting we get her checked at the hospital. We're not very familiar with this condition, so we'd like to ask the doctor what the best method is for confirming a diagnosis of endometriosis.Doctor's answer:
Endometriosis is the functional endometrium reappearing in areas outside the uterine cavity where the mucosa is exposed. It is classified based on the location of the endometrium, including pelvic peritoneal endometriosis, ovarian endometrioma, adenomyosis, and others. With the onset of menstruation, the ectopic endometrium also undergoes cyclic shedding, leading to recurrent inflammatory reactions in surrounding tissues. Pain is one of the main symptoms of endometriosis.