The research team also included scientists from the universities of Liverpool, Glasgow and Birmingham.

The study’s principal investigator, Dr Douglas Gibson, from the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Reproductive Health, said: “These findings mark a significant breakthrough in our understanding of endometriosis.

“Traditionally seen as an oestrogen-driven disorder, our research challenges this view by showing different androgen levels in the condition.

“We are optimistic that this new insight will lead to earlier diagnosis and the development of innovative new treatments for those affected by endometriosis.”

Dr Susan Bodie, from Edinburgh Innovations, the university’s commercialisation service, said the discovery addressed an “important unmet need in the field of women’s health”.

She urged partners who could help develop the diagnostic technology to get in touch.

Emma Cox, chief executive of Endometriosis UK, said a reliable, non-surgical diagnostic test was “much needed” and “long-awaited”, and called the new research “promising”.

She said it could drive down diagnosis times to just a few months, but larger trials would be essential to validate the findings.

“This is exactly why investment in endometriosis research matters – and why we will be following the progress of this research with interest,” she added.