Possibilities of transabdominal ultrasound in the diagnosis of endometriosis of the pelvic organs

Endometriosis is characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus. When the endometrial buds penetrate more than 5 mm into the peritoneum, the condition is called deep pelvic endometriosis. Although laparoscopy is the gold standard for diagnosing abdominal endometriosis, transvaginal ultrasound is an alternative that can aid in disease detection because it is an affordable, inexpensive, non-invasive examination that allows preoperative planning in cases requiring surgical treatment. However, in clinical practice, transvaginal ultrasound is still not widely used as a first-line examination for suspected endometriosis. This article describes the results of transvaginal ultrasound examination of deep endometriosis.