New diagnostic tools aim to shorten years-long wait for endometriosis diagnosis

Endometriosis, a chronic inflammatory condition affecting roughly one in ten women worldwide, frequently goes undiagnosed for many years, with many patients waiting a decade or more for confirmation. Zoë Armstrong’s story illustrates this gap, as she only learned of her condition after an ultrasound revealed an endometrioma at age 29. New diagnostic approaches are being used overseas: EndoSure measures electrical activity in the gut via abdominal sensors, while Endotest detects disease-linked microRNAs in saliva.

Both are being evaluated in the United Kingdom, where draft guidance suggests trial use in primary care. Companies behind the tests are pursuing FDA clearance or alternative lab-development pathways to make them available in the U.S. Physicians caution that these assays will supplement, not supplant, traditional imaging and clinical assessment, and that broader education about menstrual pain remains essential.