You may hear the words biopsy or histology when endometriosis is being investigated or treated.

These words can sound worrying, but they simply describe what happens when tissue is removed and examined in a laboratory.

What is a biopsy?

A biopsy is a small sample of tissue taken from the body.

During endometriosis surgery, a surgeon may remove suspected endometriosis tissue and send it to a laboratory.

What is histology?

Histology means looking at tissue under a microscope.

A specialist examines the sample to see whether it shows features of endometriosis or another condition.

Why histology may be used

Histology may help:

  • confirm endometriosis
  • support the surgical findings
  • check tissue from an endometrioma
  • exclude other conditions where needed
  • provide information for the medical record

Does histology always confirm endometriosis?

No.

Histology can confirm endometriosis when the sample contains features of the disease. But a negative histology result does not always exclude endometriosis.

This can happen if:

  • the sampled tissue did not contain endometriosis
  • the disease was missed
  • the tissue was too damaged or unclear
  • the suspicious area was not sampled
  • lesions were visualised but not removed

This is why histology should be interpreted alongside surgical findings, symptoms and imaging.

What if my surgeon saw endometriosis but biopsy was negative?

Ask your healthcare professional to explain what was seen, what was sampled and what the result means for your care.

You may want to ask:

  • What did the surgeon see during surgery?
  • Were photographs or video taken?
  • Which areas were biopsied?
  • Were all suspicious areas removed?
  • Could the biopsy have missed disease?
  • What does this result mean for my diagnosis?
  • What happens next if symptoms continue?

What should be in the operation report?

After surgery, it is helpful to request or review:

  • operation report
  • histology report
  • discharge summary
  • photographs or images if available
  • details of where disease was found
  • details of what was removed or treated
  • follow-up plan

These records can be useful if you see another specialist later.

Use the Prepare for Appointment Tool

Use our Prepare for Appointment Tool before follow-up appointments to write down what you understand, what is unclear and what questions you want answered.

Final reminder

Biopsy and histology can be helpful, but they are one part of the whole picture.

A negative result does not automatically mean your symptoms are not real or that endometriosis was impossible.