Oxford University Study Reveals CT Scan Breakthrough for Endometriosis Diagnosis
A pilot study conducted at Oxford University suggests a novel CT scan technique could significantly shorten the diagnostic timeline for endometriosis, a condition affecting one in ten women in the UK. The technique employs CT scans in conjunction with a molecular tracer, maraciclatide, designed to identify early formations of endometriosis often overlooked by standard imaging.
Currently, women endure an average diagnostic delay of nine years. This prolonged period often results in worsened symptoms, extensive pain, and significant impacts on personal and professional life. Traditional scans, such as ultrasounds and MRIs, primarily detect advanced stages of the disease, leaving many with debilitating symptoms despite normal imaging results, according to Dr Tatjana Gibbons, the study's lead researcher.
Impact of Delayed Diagnosis on Women's Lives
Gabriella Pearson, co-founder of the Menstrual Health Project, received her endometriosis diagnosis at 23, after more than a decade of escalating symptoms and multiple misdiagnoses. Pearson highlighted the severe, lasting damage the delay caused to her bowel, bladder, and ovary, hindering her career progression and educational opportunities.
“There is a knock-on effect in terms of mental health, finances, work and fertility,” Pearson stated, advocating for earlier diagnoses to improve patients' quality of life. Her own experience involved enduring excruciating periods from the age of 10, dismissed as 'part of being a woman' or misattributed to irritable bowel syndrome, before eventually finding a GP who suspected endometriosis.
A Promising Non-Invasive Alternative
The Oxford study involved 19 participants with confirmed or suspected endometriosis. The new technique accurately identified the presence or absence of the condition in 16 women, and correctly detected 14 of 17 cases subsequently confirmed by surgery. Dr Gibbons described these findings as “exciting,” particularly for superficial peritoneal endometriosis, which is common yet notoriously difficult to diagnose.
Dr Lucy Whitaker, a gynaecologist and researcher at the University of Edinburgh not involved in the study, underscored the “desperate need for new non-invasive imaging techniques.” She noted that this “exciting preliminary data” could facilitate earlier intervention and treatment, though acknowledging the need for further studies and consideration of radiation exposure from the scans and tracer.
The research, led by the Nuffield department of women’s and reproductive health at the University of Oxford and Serac Healthcare, was published in the journal Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women's Health.
