Serum antiendometrial antibodies and diagnosis of endometriosis.

Problem: The purpose of the present prospective multi-center study is to investigate the relationship between laparoscopic diagnosis of endometriosis and results of a serum antiendometrial antibody (AEA) assay.

Method Of Study: Indirect immunofluorescence detection of AEA was performed on serum specimens from patients presenting with dysmenorrhea or chronic pelvic pain and infertility (n = 2609) utilizing frozen sections of endometrium acquired on cycle days 18-21 from normally cycling women without endometriosis. Diagnostic laparoscopy was performed within 1 year of AEA assay on 527 tested women.