Endometriosis is one of the most common gynecological disorders affecting 5.5 million women in the United States and 176 million women worldwide. It is a chronic disorder found in the pelvic region of women. This disease affects women of all ethnic and social backgrounds. Although the exact causes of endometriosis have not yet been determined, certain trends appear to contribute to the condition. There also appears to be a connection between it being a hereditary condition. Symptoms can vary greatly from case to case, which can sometimes make diagnosing endometriosis difficult at first. Endometriosis has 4 stages or classifications: minimal, mild, moderate and severe, used to describe the anatomical location and severity of the disorder. Symptoms can be as minimal as mild cramping and as devastating as infertility. There is no known cure for endometriosis, but women have treatment options to relieve pain and resolve fertility problems that can result from endometriosis. The only real way to diagnose endometriosis is to perform a pelvic laparoscopy. But ultrasound is a way to detect signs of endometriosis. Endometriosis is a chronic, progressive disease in which tissue resembling the inner lining of the uterus, called the endometrium, grows and appears in unusual places in the lower abdominal cavity. This is a condition that occurs when the endometrium, the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus, grows outside the uterus. During your menstrual cycle, the endometrium thickens to prepare for the egg. If the egg is fertilized, it will attach to the endometrium and begin to grow. If the egg is not fertilized, the endometrium breaks down and is passed out of your body as blood...... middle of paper ...... function. St. Louis: Saunders, 2004. Depot, Lupron. Treatment of endometriosis. Abbott Park: Abbott, 2010. Kowalczyk, Nina and James Mace. Radiographic pathology for technologists. St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier, 2009. Kurjak, Asim and Frank Chervenak. Ultrasound in obstetrics and gynecology. Panama City: Jaypee, 2004. Metzger, Deborah, Howard Reisman, and Stuart Schultz. Management of endometriosis. San Bruno: StayWell, 2000. Mosbys Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Professions. St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier, 2009.S, Kennedy. Global endometriosis news and information forum. January 23, 2011. February 11, 2012. .Storck, Susan. “Endometriosis.” PubMed Health. July 25, 2011. .Trivedi, Dr. Ravi K. Personal interview. February 11. 2012.