Pelvic pain and endometriosis is a key topic at the ISUOG World Congress 2025.

According to WHO, approximately 190 million women and girls of reproductive age worldwide suffer from endometriosis, a chronic condition without a known cure. Management primarily focuses on symptom control due to the condition's recurring nature, often requiring long-term treatment.  

Treatment options include symptomatic relief to alleviate pain, as well as medical or surgical interventions. A wide range of medical treatments aim to reduce estrogen levels in the body, with the choice of medication tailored to individual symptoms. Surgical interventions, typically performed laparoscopically, may also be considered when warranted.  

While laparoscopy is considered the gold standard for diagnosis, it is invasive and costly. In the hands of a skilled operator, endometriosis can be accurately detected using ultrasound and/or MRI. In skilled hands, gynecological ultrasound can not only diagnose endometriosis, assess the extent of the disease, and chart the course for surgical interventions.  

Endometriosis profoundly impacts individuals' sexual and reproductive health, quality of life, and overall well-being, highlighting the importance of accurate and timely diagnosis and effective management. 

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Transvaginal color Doppler image of endometriotic lesion

Image from UOG Journal article: Natural history of endometriosis in pregnancy: ultrasound study of morphology of deep endometriosis and ovarian endometrioma

 

Why is endometriosis a key topic at ISUOG 2025?

Pelvic pain is a multifaceted challenge in women’s health. How can clinicians distinguish between overlapping conditions? What role does ultrasound play in transforming diagnostic precision and management? The causes of pelvic pain range from chronic conditions like endometriosis and ACUM to acute issues such as torsion, ectopic pregnancy, or infections. With advances in ultrasound technology, including the detection of superficial and parametrial deep endometriosis, and the rise of minimally invasive, ultrasound-guided treatments, the possibilities for accurate and timely care are expanding. Discover the answers and the latest innovations from experts at this year’s ISUOG World Congress.

Mala Sibal Scientific Committee member

Recent UOG articles  

 

Supplement your learning

Lectures

Acute pelvic pain in pregnancy - Emma Kirk 

 

Uterine causes of acute pelvic pain - Tina Tellum 

 

Current perspectives on adenomyosis and endometriosis: Scanning the Pelvic side wall - Daniela Fischerova

 

Current perspectives on adenomyosis and endometriosis: Describing the ultrasound characteristics of fibroids and adenomyosis - Thierry Van den Bosch

 

VISUOG

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Endometriomas

Endometriosis is a benign estrogen dependent disease that is defined by the presence of endometrial glandular tissue outside of the uterus. It is most often localised in the ovary giving rise to a clear demarcated ovarian cyst, containing altered blood: the endometrioma.

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Extrapelvic sites of Endometriosis

Extrapelvic endometriosis most often affects the gastrointestinal tract, umbilicus, inguinal area, cesarean scar, diaphragm and pelvic nerves. The diagnosis is challenging and imaging methods can be used to access suspected lesions, and to evaluate the pelvic cavity since isolated extraperitoneal endometriosis is rare.

Superficial Endometriosis

Endometriosis is an enigmatic, chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology, characterised by ectopic growth of endometrial-like cells outside the uterus.

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Deep Endometriosis

Explore chapters on deep endometriosis

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Anterior compartment endometriosis

Anterior compartment pelvic endometriosis consists in  the presence of endometriotic lesions localized in the anterior pelvic structures. The most important localizations of anterior compartment deep endometriosis (DE) are bladder endometriosis (BE) and pre-vesical ureteral endometriosis (UE).

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Deep Endometriosis of The Uterosacral Ligaments

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Bowel endometriosis

Deep endometriosis (DE) is one of three phenotypes of endometriosis in addition to peritoneal endometriosis and ovarian endometriosis.

 

Patient information

Endometriosis

This leaflet is to help you understand what Endometriosis is, how does it happen, what tests you need and what are the long term implications of the diagnosis?

Anterior compartment endometriosis

This leaflet is to help you understand what anterior compartment endometriosis is, what tests you need and the implication of being diagnosed, as well as the treatment options available to you.

Deep Endometriosis

This leaflet is to help you understand what Deep Endometriosis is, what tests you need, and the implication of being diagnosed.

Deep Endometriosis of the Uterosacral Ligaments

This leaflet is to help you understand what Deep Endometriosis of the Uterosacral Ligaments is, how does it happen, what tests you need and what are the long term implications of the diagnosis?

Bowel Endometriosis

This leaflet is to help you understand what bowel endometriosis is, what tests you need, and what the implication of being diagnosed means to you.

Extra-pelvic endometriosis sites

This leaflet is to help you understand what Endometriosis is, how does it happen, what tests you need and what are the long term implications of the diagnosis?

Gynecological Ultrasound Scan

This leaflet is to help you understand the use, accuracy and timing of pelvic ultrasound scan and what questions you should be asking your caregiver.

 

CME activites 

Questions 

How should an ultrasound assessment for endometriosis be performed? 

How does ultrasound guide surgery for endometriosis? 

What training does a surgeon-sonologist have? 

How can we improve treatment for endometriosis? 

Register for the ISUOG World Congress to get answers to these questions. 

Register here

Register now!

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