A 10-Year Journey to Diagnosis With Endometriosis: An Autobiographical Case Report

Lexi R Frankel

doi:10.7759/cureus.21329

A 10-Year Journey to Diagnosis With Endometriosis: An Autobiographical Case Report

Lexi R Frankel

Cureus · 2022 · vol. 14(1) , pp. e21329 · doi:10.7759/cureus.21329 · PMID:35186587 · PMC8849430 · W4206578152

article OA: gold CC0 ⤵ 4 in-corpus citations

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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-08 ⓘ

This case report details the author's decade-long journey to diagnose stage IV endometriosis, highlighting the profound physical, psychological, and financial impacts of such diagnostic delays.

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Abstract

Endometriosis is a multifocal, chronic disease defined by extrauterine endometrial glands and stroma. This case report describes the author's experience of living with stage IV endometriosis, including a 10-year diagnostic delay, the impact on daily life, management, and treatment. The diagnostic delay for endometriosis averages between seven to nine years globally, which imparts significant physical, psychological, and financial effects on the lives of patients.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

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References (22)

AAGL 2021 Endometriosis Classification: An Anatomy-based Surgical Complexity Score via openalex
Atypical Sites of Deeply Infiltrative Endometriosis: Clinical Characteristics and Imaging Findings via openalex
Classification of endometriosis via openalex
Diagnostic delay for superficial and deep endometriosis in the United Kingdom via openalex
Does Nutrition Affect Endometriosis? via openalex
Endometriosis via openalex
Endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis via openalex
Endometriosis classification, staging and reporting systems: a review on the road to a universally accepted endometriosis classification, via openalex
Endometriosis: Epidemiology, Diagnosis and Clinical Management via openalex
Endometriosis in a Man as a Rare Source of Abdominal Pain: A Case Report and Review of the Literature via openalex
Impact of Endometriosis Diagnostic Delays on Healthcare Resource Utilization and Costs via openalex
Pericardial, pleural and diaphragmatic endometriosis in association with pelvic peritoneal and bowel endometriosis: a case report and review of the literature. via openalex
Recurrence of endometriosis after hysterectomy. via openalex
Status Migrainosus and Endometriosis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature via openalex
The Burden of Endometriosis on Women’s Lifespan: A Narrative Overview on Quality of Life and Psychosocial Wellbeing via openalex
The rASRM score and the Enzian classification for endometriosis: their strengths and weaknesses via openalex
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W6781576200 via openalex
W2947438363 via openalex
W4211081176 via openalex
W6690080468 via openalex
W18374401 via openalex

Cited by (4)

Source provenance

europepmc: last seen: 2026-06-11T06:19:48.454388+00:00
openalex: last seen: 2026-06-10T17:14:06.276822+00:00
pubmed: last seen: 2026-05-13T22:23:57.700195+00:00

License: CC0 · commercial use OK

[1] AAGL 2021 Endometriosis Classification: An Anatomy-based Surgical Complexity Score via openalex

[2] Atypical Sites of Deeply Infiltrative Endometriosis: Clinical Characteristics and Imaging Findings via openalex

[3] Classification of endometriosis via openalex

[4] Diagnostic delay for superficial and deep endometriosis in the United Kingdom via openalex

[5] Does Nutrition Affect Endometriosis? via openalex

[6] Endometriosis via openalex

[7] Endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis via openalex

[8] Endometriosis classification, staging and reporting systems: a review on the road to a universally accepted endometriosis classification, via openalex

[9] Endometriosis: Epidemiology, Diagnosis and Clinical Management via openalex

[10] Endometriosis in a Man as a Rare Source of Abdominal Pain: A Case Report and Review of the Literature via openalex

[11] Impact of Endometriosis Diagnostic Delays on Healthcare Resource Utilization and Costs via openalex

[12] Pericardial, pleural and diaphragmatic endometriosis in association with pelvic peritoneal and bowel endometriosis: a case report and review of the literature. via openalex

[13] Recurrence of endometriosis after hysterectomy. via openalex

[14] Status Migrainosus and Endometriosis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature via openalex

[15] The Burden of Endometriosis on Women’s Lifespan: A Narrative Overview on Quality of Life and Psychosocial Wellbeing via openalex

[16] The rASRM score and the Enzian classification for endometriosis: their strengths and weaknesses via openalex

[17] What’s the delay? A qualitative study of women’s experiences of reaching a diagnosis of endometriosis via openalex

[18] W6781576200 via openalex

[19] W2947438363 via openalex

[20] W4211081176 via openalex

[21] W6690080468 via openalex

[22] W18374401 via openalex