Endometriosis is a disease which affects women and their reproductive system. It occurs when the tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus (the endometrium) grows outside the uterus. The damaged tissue is usually known as endometriosis patches, implants, nodules or lesions and is found in the pelvic cavity, including on or under the ovaries, on the fallopian tubes, which carry egg cells from the ovaries to the uterus, behind the uterus, on the tissues that hold the uterus in place, on the bowels or bladder, and in rare cases, on the lungs or in other parts of the body.
Before undergoing diagnostic tests, patients are submitted to a full medical examination to evaluate their overall health. During this examination, women are asked about their family and medical history, since endometriosis and numerous other diseases may be inherited, as well as the symptoms experienced and their severity, and menstrual periods.