The condition is characterised by pieces of endo­metrium-like tissue (the mucous membrane that lines the inside of the uterus) appearing outside of the uterine cavity in various organs – the ovaries, vagina, rectum, bladder and intestines, among others. During menstruation, this tissue reacts to the hormonal changes, causing inflamma­tion, which leads in turn to severe pain and a litany of other symptoms [9]. The condition can also be completely asymptomatic. In this case, it is usually discovered coincidentally during a doctor's visit occasioned by apparent problems with conception. A large portion of endometriosis patients suffer from infertility.

Persistent pain promotes the phenomenon of hypersensitization: the threshold for pain perception decreases, which in turn promotes pain chronification. This chronic pain can occur at any stage of endometriosis and persist even when the endometriosis lesions are no longer present.

The pain disturbs sleep, causing chronic fatigue and psychological issues (irritability, depression, etc.), which is in turn detrimental to family and social life. It adversely affects sexuality. Endometriosis has far-reaching effects on patients' profes­sional lives, marked by recurrent absences from school and work. The most common symptoms are severe menstrual pain, pain during intercourse, pelvic pain, digestive problems and infertility.

Endometriosis is diagnosed by medical professionals, e.g. your gynecologist. Please seek advice from a medical professional who specialises in this condition.

Compared to existing methods, Ziwig Endotest^® represents a huge step forward in the diagnosis of endometriosis as it can diagnose all forms of the condition [4-8].

However, Ziwig Endotest^® is not intended to replace diagnostic pelvic imaging (MRI, ultrasound). Ziwig Endotest^® is not a screening test.

Ziwig Endotest^® may be useful in the following situations:

- Patients with suspected endometriosis following normal or inconclusive results of diagnostic imaging (ultrasound or MRI).

- Patients with persistent endometriosis symptoms despite medical treatment and normal or inconclusive results of diagnostic imaging.

The Swiss endometriosis associations Endo-Help and S-Endo will provide you with further support before and after your diagnosis.

Ziwig Endotest^® is a saliva test for the diagnosis of endometriosis. The test takes advantage of two cutting-edge technologies – high-throughput sequencing and artificial intelligence. Using a simple saliva sample, 109 different microRNAs are checked for endo­metriosis. This technology can detect all forms of endometriosis [4-8] with almost 100 % reliability [1, 6]. It has been validated in the largest clinical trial conducted in this field to date.

Ziwig Endotest^® requires a medical prescription. Please seek advice from a medical professional who specialises in endometriosis.

Endometriosis is diagnosed by medical professionals, e.g. your gynecologist. Please seek advice from a medical professional who specialises in this condition. In Switzerland, a large number of gynecologists (and other specialists) offer the Ziwig Endotest.

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 Dabi Y, Suisse S, Puchar A, Delbos L, Poilblanc M, Descamps P, Haury J, Golfier F,Jornea L, Bouteiller D, Touboul C, Daraï E, Bendifallah S. Endometriosis-associatedinfertility diagnosis based on saliva microRNA signatures. RBMO. 2023; 46(1): 138-149.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbmo.2022.09.019

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Bendifallah S, Suisse S, Puchar A, Delbos L, Poilblanc M, Descamps P, Golfier F,Jornea L, Bouteiller D, Touboul C, Dabi Y, Daraï E. Salivary microRNA signature fordiagnosis of endometriosis. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2022; 11(3): 612. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm11030612

Dabi Y, Suisse S, Jornea L, Bouteiller D, Touboul C, Puchar A, Daraï E, Bendifallah S.Clues for improving the pathophysiology knowledge for endometriosis using serummicro-RNA expression. Diagnostics (Basel). 2022; 12(1): 175. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics12010175

Bendifallah S, Puchar A, Suisse S, Delbos L, Poilblanc M, Descamps P, Golfier F,Touboul C, Dabi Y, Daraï E. Machine learning algorithms as new screening approachfor patients with endometriosis. Sci Rep. 2022; 12: 639. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-04637-2

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Panir K, Schjenken J, Robertson S, Hull M L. Non-coding RNAs in endometriosis:a narrative review. Hum Reprod Update. 2018; 24(4): 497-515. https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmy014

ESHRE-Guidelines (2023, 20.06.). https://www.eshre.eu/Guidelines-and-Legal/Guidelines/Endometriosis-guideline.aspx