Routine clinical examination is not sufficient for diagnosing and locating deeply infiltrating endometriosis

Abstract

Study objective: To determine whether routine clinical examination is sufficient for the diagnosis and establishing the location of deeply infiltrating endometriosis (DIE).

Design: Retrospective analysis (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).

Setting: University-affiliated hospital. Patients. One hundred sixty women with histologically proved deeply infiltrating endometriosis.

Measurements and main results: Speculum examination allowed endometriotic lesions to be viewed in only 14.4% (23) of patients, and a classic, painful, spheric nodule was palpated in only 43.1% (69). Results of routine clinical examination varied significantly with location of DIE. Whereas a nodule was found in 80.0% (24) of patients with vaginal endometriosis, this rate dropped to only 35.3% (6) and 33.3% (34) in those with DIE of the digestive tract and uterosacral ligaments, respectively (p <0.0001).

Conclusion: High locations of DIE lesions at the level of uterosacral ligaments, bottom of the pouch of Douglas, and upper one-third of the posterior vaginal wall explain why results of routine clinical examination are so poor. The term "deep endometriosis infiltrating the rectovaginal septum" is generally incorrect in the true anatomic sense.