Scans may miss small endometriosis spots before surgery, doctors say

Imaging scans such as ultrasound and MRI provide a roadmap before gynecological surgery, but they may not reveal every abnormality, according to doctors at Apollo Athenaa Women's Cancer Centre. Dr Jyoti Arora, Principal Lead of Women's Imaging, said scans and direct surgical assessment answer different questions. She noted that tiny endometriosis deposits, adhesions, or subtle tissue changes may only become visible when a surgeon examines the pelvis directly.

An unexpected finding during surgery does not automatically mean cancer, Dr Rupinder Sekhon, Principal Lead of Gynae-Oncology and Robotic Surgery, said. It could be a benign condition, inflammation, scar tissue, or a normal anatomical variation. Doctors combine imaging, clinical assessment, surgery, and pathology to reach a definitive diagnosis. Patients are counselled before surgery about the possibility of additional findings and how they will be managed.