MONA LISA SMILE, Professional Education and Early Diagnosis of endometriosis in adolescence

Endometriosis is a chronic benign disease characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus. It affects 10% of reproductive-aged women worldwide, with a huge negative impact on their daily life activities, emotional wellbeing and social relations. Moreover, it represents an economic burden, both for patients and healthcare systems. Despite the wide diffusion and increasing healthcare awareness of the disease, the diagnostic delay is still a reason for concern. Globally, the delay from symptom onset to diagnosis is currently estimated at 7-11 years.

Women affected by the disease may have their first diagnosis in the third or fourth decade of life, but in 60% of the patients the onset of pain symptoms is in adolescence. Endometriosis has some peculiar characteristics in adolescents. Usually, pelvic endometriosis lesions are detected through ultrasound in 13% of the cases. Dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and heavy menstrual bleeding are typically related to teen patients affected by the disease.

However, there is a lack of scientific knowledge of endometriosis in adolescents among health professionals, particularly regarding diagnosis and management of the disease.

The aim of the Mona Lisa smile Project is to create and educational program for healthcare professionals, focused on the early diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis in teen patients.

The objectives of Monalisa are:

• Improve healthcare professionals knowledge of the disease
• Provide clinicians extensive e digital didactic material
• Help clinicals recognize adolescents at risk in order to refer them to specialty centers
• Provide clinicians with easily available tools and a risk assessment score to identify patient at risk for the disease.
• The ultimate aim of the project is to create a standardized and shared approach to endometriosis in adolescents across Europe that can be also reproducible in daily clinical practice.