Stages of Endometriosis

The American Society of Reproductive Medicine developed a system to classify Endometriosis in grades or stages.

Grade/Stage 1: Minimal endometriosis, isolated implants and no significant adhesions

Grade/Stage 2: Mild endometriosis, superficial implants less than 5cm without significant adhesions

Grade/Stage 3: Moderate endometriosis, multiple implants, adhesions, scaring around tubes and ovaries

Grade/Stage 4: Severe endometriosis, multiple implants, thick adhesions, distortion of anatomy, scaring around tubes and ovaries, including large ovarian endometriomas

The stage of endometriosis is based on the location, amount, depth and size of the endometrial tissue. The specific criteria includes:

• The extent of the spread of the tissue

• The involvement of pelvic structures in the disease

• The extent of pelvic adhesions

• The blockage of the fallopian tubes

The stage of the endometriosis does not necessarily reflect the level of pain experienced, risk of infertility or symptoms present. For example, it is possible for a woman in stage 1 to be in tremendous pain, while a woman in stage 4 may not experience any symptoms.

#Endometriosis #Stagesofendometriosis