What Can a Pap Smear Tell You About Endometriosis?

The female reproductive cycle is an uncomfortable part of every young woman's life, but a condition known as endometriosis can make the menstrual cycle downright painful. Pap smears can be used to detect certain reproductive abnormalities, but can they be used to diagnose endometriosis?

The Endometrium

• Lining the female uterine wall is the endometrium. During the monthly cycle, this lining thickens until menstruation occurs. At this point, the endometrium is broken down and passed out of the body in the menstrual flow.

Endometriosis

• This condition occurs when the endometrial lining grows anywhere in the pelvic region other than the uterus. Just as it would if it were in the uterus, the tissue thickens and breaks down during the menstrual cycle, but the blood flow has nowhere to go.

Symptoms and Complications

• Blood from an improper endometrial lining invades surrounding tissues and causes extreme irritation during menstruation. It can also cause pain in the pelvic region during ovulation, urination or intercourse. In some cases, the condition can lead to infertility or sterility if untreated.

Pap Smears

• A pap smear is a procedure in which a physician examines the female external genitalia and then swabs a sample of cells from the cervix to check for cervical cancer and other abnormalities.

Pap Smears and Endometriosis

• Pap smears are not appropriate for determining whether a woman has endometriosis. Although endometrial cells may be present on the cervix, abnormal growth of endometrium usually occurs deeper in the reproductive system, such as in the fallopian tubes, the ovaries and the pelvic cavity.