Is there a test for endometriosis or adenomyosis?

It's often higher in endometriosis, especially with endometriomas or more extensive disease.

Whether you have endometriosis. In a Cochrane review, CA-125 above 35 U/mL picked up only about 40% of cases. Periods, fibroids, adenomyosis and pelvic infection can all raise it.

One piece of information a specialist may use when assessing an ovarian mass.

Whether a cyst is an endometrioma or something else — several conditions raise it.

An estimate of ovarian reserve, which can matter before surgery on an endometrioma or when planning fertility.

Anything about whether you have endometriosis. ESHRE notes that endometrioma surgery can reduce ovarian reserve, which is why reserve is discussed beforehand.

Ovarian endometriomas and deep endometriosis. For endometriomas, transvaginal ultrasound is highly accurate.

Superficial peritoneal endometriosis reliably. ESHRE: a negative scan doesn't exclude endometriosis. Results depend heavily on the imager's experience — a routine pelvic scan isn't the same as an endometriosis mapping scan.

Visual and tissue confirmation, and lesions can be treated in the same procedure.

Everything — a negative biopsy doesn't fully exclude disease. It's surgery, with surgical risks. ACOG 2026 says it isn't required before starting treatment.

Early studies report high accuracy, and it's the new test closest to clinical use.

It isn't validated as a stand-alone test. France funds it only within a study. Draft UK NICE guidance (July 2026) proposes allowing it in NHS primary care only while more evidence is collected, for people whose exam is normal and whose imaging is negative or inconclusive. It isn't FDA-cleared.

Nothing validated yet.

Whether you have endometriosis. ESHRE strongly recommends against these biomarkers for diagnosis.

In one study of 159 people with surgically confirmed endometriosis and 57 controls, a pattern of adrenal hormones identified more than 95% of cases in a blinded subset of the same group.

Anything clinically yet — it's a single study with no independent validation, and no test is available.

General inflammation, or answers to other questions like ovulation.

Whether you have endometriosis — none of these are diagnostic.

Nothing — none exists. CA-125 can be raised but isn't specific.

Whether you have adenomyosis.

Adenomyosis features, described with standardized MUSA terminology on ultrasound. It's the main way adenomyosis is diagnosed.

Much if the scan isn't done by someone experienced in looking for it.

Whether heavy bleeding has caused anemia. NICE recommends it for everyone with heavy menstrual bleeding.

The cause of the bleeding.

Low iron stores, even before anemia shows up.

Anything about endometriosis. Worth knowing: NICE says not to routinely test ferritin in heavy menstrual bleeding, though many clinicians do — it's a reasonable question to raise if you're exhausted.

Thyroid causes of bleeding — NICE recommends them only when there are other signs of thyroid disease.

An inherited bleeding disorder. NICE says testing should be considered if heavy bleeding started with your first period and you have a personal or family history suggesting a bleeding disorder.