Imaging Diagnosis of Adenomyosis

Aileen O’Shea, Gabrielle Figueiredo, Susanna I Lee
Seminars in reproductive medicine · 2020 · vol. 38(02/03) , pp. 119–128 · doi:10.1055/s-0040-1719017 · PMID:33197946 · W3100297393
review OA: closed CC0 ⤵ 10 in-corpus citations
View on OpenAlex View on PubMed View at publisher
⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-07 ⓘ

Ultrasonography and MRI can accurately diagnose adenomyosis by identifying characteristic myometrial features like heterogeneity, cysts, and junctional zone widening, although differential diagnoses must be considered.

One-sentence paraphrase of the abstract; not a substitute for reading it. No clinical advice. How this works

⚙ AI-generated deep summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-07 ⓘ

This paper reviews how uterine adenomyosis can be diagnosed using ultrasonography (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), describing diffuse versus focal imaging patterns and the most frequently reported diagnostic features. It reports that adenomyosis appears on US as a heterogeneous thickened myometrium with myometrial cysts, while MRI supports diagnosis when the junctional zone is widened (focal or diffuse) and when myometrial cysts are present, though it notes that MRI may provide higher specificity and positive predictive value. A major limitation emphasized is that several other gynecologic pathologies can mimic adenomyosis on cross-sectional imaging, requiring vigilance in interpretation, and that MRI evaluation depends on availability and expertise. This paper is centrally about endometriosis and/or adenomyosis — it focuses specifically on imaging diagnosis of adenomyosis using US and MRI.

Read from the paper's body, not the abstract. Not a substitute for reading the paper. No clinical advice. How this works

Abstract

Uterine adenomyosis can be diagnosed on ultrasonography (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with a high degree of accuracy. Adenomyosis is a myometrial process that can appear as diffuse or focal on imaging. Diffuse adenomyosis typically causes uterine enlargement, while focal adenomyosis can mimic other myometrial lesions, such as leiomyomas. Imaging features frequently seen on US include a heterogenous thickened myometrium and myometrial cysts. On MRI, widening of the junctional zone, whether focal or diffuse, and the presence of myometrial cysts, either simple or hemorrhagic, support the diagnosis of adenomyosis. Despite these characteristic imaging appearances, there are several gynecologic pathologies which can mimic adenomyosis and it is important to be vigilant of these when interpreting cross-sectional imaging exams. The decision to evaluate patients with US or MRI is contingent on multiple factors, including availability of the necessary technology and expertise for the latter. However, MRI appears to offer greater specificity and positive predictive value for the diagnosis of adenomyosis.

My notes (saved in your browser only)

Condition tags

endometriosisadenomyosis

MeSH descriptors

Adenomyosis Hysterosalpingography Magnetic Resonance Imaging Ultrasonography Adenomyosis Adenomyosis Adult Aged Diagnosis, Differential Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Humans Hysterosalpingography Leiomyoma Leiomyoma Magnetic Resonance Imaging Middle Aged Myometrium Myometrium

Citation neighborhood

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

References (39)

Cited by (10)

Source provenance

europepmc
last seen: 2026-06-17T06:13:18.893374+00:00
openalex
last seen: 2026-06-10T17:14:06.276822+00:00
pubmed
last seen: 2026-05-13T22:21:36.268089+00:00
License: CC0 · commercial use OK