Correlation between the ultrasound and laparoscopic findings in deep endometriosis staging: A narrative review

Abstract

Many women across the world suffer from endometriosis. This disease should be staged by laparoscopy in order to know the extent of disease. Ultrasound may be a reliable diagnostic tool that could complement laparoscopy for endometriosis staging. The aim of this study is to perform a narrative review of the current status of studies comparing ultrasound findings and laparoscopic staging according to American Society Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and ENZIAN classifications. A search in PubMed and Web of Science databases from 2004 to 2022 was performed using the following terms “endometriosis”, “ultrasound”, “laparoscopy”, “ENZIAN” and “ASRM”. We focused on the accuracy of sonography using laparoscopy as gold standard. Seven studies were ultimately included. We observed that ultrasound is accurate and correlates well with advanced stages in the case of ASRM classification, and correlates well with ENZIAN classification. However, some limitations came up. There is little scientific information out there regarding this specific topic. Some of the studies have a retrospective design and one of them has a small sample size. In addition to this, even if ultrasound could have a relevant role in staging deep endometriosis, this method is highly dependent on the operator's experience. We conclude that diagnostic performance of transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) for evaluating the extent of disease in women with pelvic endometriosis is high. However, evidence is still limited and further studies are needed.