American Society for Reproductive
Medicine (ASRM) and it categorizes Endometriosis into four stages.
Classifications are based on:
- The amount
- The location
- The severity
- Presence and severity of adhesions
Surgeons further classify Endometriosis as superficial or deep:
- Superficial endometriosis lies more on the surface
- Deep endometriosis implants are deeper than 5 to 6 millimeters
The
four stages of endometriosis have the following general descriptions:
- Stage I: Minimal – Superficial lesions and isolated incidents of endometrial tissue growth outside the uterus. Possibly a few adhesions.
- Stage II: Mild - All the above and some deep lesions. Several small implants and a few small areas of scar tissue or adhesions.
- Stage III: Moderate - All the above, plus presence
of endometriomas on the ovary and more adhesions. Superficial and
deep implants. Several prominent areas of scar tissue or adhesions.
- Stage IV: Severe - All the above, plus large
endometriomas and extensive adhesions. Many superficial and deep
implants as well as large adhesions. Common symptoms includes
infertility.
