Trial of non-invasive endometriosis scan boosts hopes for quicker diagnosis
Summary
A trial tested a new, non-invasive scan using a radiotracer called maraciclatide to detect endometriosis. The scan successfully identified endometriosis in most patients and could speed up diagnosis, which currently often requires surgery and takes many years.Key Facts
- Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the womb lining grows outside the womb, causing pain and fertility problems.
- Women in England wait on average over 9 years for an endometriosis diagnosis, with longer waits for ethnic minorities.
- Current imaging methods usually miss early-stage endometriosis, especially peritoneal endometriosis, the most common form.
- The trial involved 19 women who were about to have surgery for endometriosis; they received an injection of maraciclatide and then had a Spect-CT scan.
- The scan results matched surgical diagnosis in 16 out of 19 cases with no false positives.
- Maraciclatide works by binding to tissue making new blood vessels, which is common in endometriosis lesions.
- The trial was led by researchers at the University of Oxford and the results are published in The Lancet.
- Larger trials are planned to confirm these findings and possibly make diagnosis faster and less invasive.
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