"Occult or microscopic lesions have been reported as early as 1986 from laparotomy procedures. Hopton and Redwine {7} have shown a linear inverse relationship between the distance of the viewing lens from the peritoneal surface and the incidence of OME; these authors claim that OME almost ceases to exist with close contact laparoscopy with less than 1cm separation of the laparoscope tip from the peritoneal surface (and with direct visualisation laparoscopy, suggesting that the use of video-assisted laparoscopy may impair visualisation) with incidences of OME ranging from 0% to 25% in various studies {1-7}.
"Hopton and Redwine {7} have also highlighted the key factors that are likely to be influential on whether OME is diagnosed: the definition of normal peritoneum, the size and location of biopsies of 'normal peritoneum', the histological definition of endometriosis, and whether women undergoing laparoscopic assessment have recently been using hormonal suppressive therapy....
"The more careful the search for endometriosis – and the closer the laparoscope tip is applied to the peritoneal surface – the less chance of missing any endometriosis. - There is a strong place for clear definitions to standardise laparoscopy performed by all gynaecological surgeons in relation to (a) viewing distance from the laparoscope tip and (b) definitions of what constitutes abnormal peritoneum, particularly the subtle abnormalities highlighted by Redwine {5} and Redwine and Yocom {6}. The more meticulous the search for endometriosis and the combination of this search with meticulous excision of all lesions, the more likely endometriosis is to be eradicated through laparoscopic surgery."
