Sonographic Differential Diagnosis in Deep Infiltrating Endometriosis: The Bowel

Table 2

Characteristics of all cases of Figure 2 at a glance.

Organ	Sonographic diagnosis			Differential diagnosis
	Case number	US suspect	Appearance	US suspect	Differences
Sigma and ileum	#9, #10, and #11	Multifocal endometriosis of the sigma-rectum (confirmed diagnosis)	Typical appearance of endometriosis of the bowel	Rectal polyp (see case #18 of Figure 4); Rectal cancer (see cases #19 and #20 of Figure 4)	(i) Age; (ii) Family history; (iii) Rectal bleeding; (iv) Recta polyps and cancer can be both multifocal, but they grow from inside outwards while endometriosis starts from the serosa and encroaches the bowel
	#12	Endometriosis of the ileum (confirmed diagnosis)	The small bowel as seen in the vesico-uterine pouch and presented a typical endometriosis lesion (see cases #1 to #8)	Endometriosis of the vesico-uterine pouch	(i) Evidence of peristalsis; (ii) Positive “sliding sign”