Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2025 Jan;55(1):24-35.
doi: 10.1007/s00247-024-06050-z. Epub 2024 Sep 18.

MRI for endometriosis in adolescent patients

Alexander M El-Ali  1 , Angela Tong  2 , Paul Smereka  2 , Shailee V Lala  3
Affiliations
Review

MRI for endometriosis in adolescent patients

Alexander M El-Ali et al. Pediatr Radiol. 2025 Jan.

Abstract

Endometriosis, a chronic condition that often starts in adolescence, can have a significant impact on quality of life due to symptoms of dysmenorrhea and pelvic pain. Although laparoscopy with direct visualization and pathologic correlation is the reference standard for the diagnosis of endometriosis, some authors have called for a greater emphasis on clinical diagnosis - including imaging. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides highly reproducible, large field of view, multiplanar, and multiparametric imaging of pelvic endometriosis and is well tolerated in adolescent patients. As such, pediatric radiologists need to be familiar with the manifestations of endometriosis on MRI and how these findings may differ from those seen in adult populations.

Keywords: Adolescent; Dysmenorrhea; Endometriosis; Magnetic resonance imaging; Pelvic pain; Quality of life.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Conflicts of interest: The authors deny any conflicts of interest. Angela Tong received honorarium for speaking at a conference for Siemens Healthineers. Shailee V. Lala is the Assistant Editor of the journal Pediatric Radiology.

References

    1. DiVasta AD, Vitonis AF, Laufer MR, Missmer SA (2018) Spectrum of symptoms in women diagnosed with endometriosis during adolescence vs adulthood. Am J Obstet Gynecol 218:324.e321-324.e311 - DOI
    1. (2018) ACOG Committee Opinion No. 760: dysmenorrhea and endometriosis in the adolescent. Obstet Gynecol 132:e249-e258. https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000002978
    1. Greene R, Stratton P, Cleary SD et al (2009) Diagnostic experience among 4,334 women reporting surgically diagnosed endometriosis. Fertil Steril 91:32–39 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Agarwal SK, Chapron C, Giudice LC et al (2019) Clinical diagnosis of endometriosis: a call to action. Am J Obstet Gynecol 220:354.e351-354.e312 - DOI
    1. Shim JY, Laufer MR, King CR, Lee TTM, Einarsson JI, Tyson N (2024) Evaluation and management of endometriosis in the adolescent. Obstet Gynecol 143:44–51 - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources