What are the more common gynaecological causes of pelvic pain?

Institute for Advanced Endoscopic Training, Norfolk, Virginia, USA. endodoc11@aol.com

Objectives:

The objective of this study was to determine what relationship exists between interstitial cystitis and chronic pelvic pain in patients.

Methods:

A prospective study of 35 women with a complaint of chronic pelvic pain was performed between August 2002 and September 2003. These patients underwent a workup to exclude other causes of pelvic pain and underwent a laparoscopy and a cystoscopy with hydrodistention at 80 cm of hydrostatic water pressure. Results were obtained and quantified.

Results:

Twenty-eight patients (80%) were diagnosed with interstitial cystitis, 28 were diagnosed with endometriosis (80%), 24 had both disease entities simultaneously (69%), and 32 (91%) had endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, or both. Three patients (9%) had neither and were diagnosed with other pathologies.

Conclusions:

Chronic pelvic pain is a major concern for many women in the United States. Patients with chronic pelvic pain have traditionally been difficult to manage. A large percentage of women presenting with chronic pelvic pain have been shown to have endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, or both. Therefore, an appropriate workup for those individuals with chronic pelvic pain involves not only obtaining a good history and performing a good physical examination, but the possibility of a cystoscopy being performed when a laparoscopy has been deemed necessary for diagnosis of the pain. These procedures can serve as both a means for diagnosis and short-term treatment of these problems when encountered.

Please click on the required question.

• 1 Pelvic Pain. Is this a common problem?
• 2 What are the common causes of pelvic pain in women?
• 3 What are the more common gynaecological causes of pelvic pain?
• 4 What are the more common non-gynaecological causes of pelvic pain?
• 5 What are primary and secondary dysmenorrhoea - painful periods?
• 6 What is retrograde menstruation?
• 7 How can dysmenorrhoea - painful periods be treated?
• 8 What are ovarian cysts?
• 9 How do ovarian cysts cause pain?
• 10 How are ovarian cysts diagnosed?
• 11 How are ovarian cysts treated?
• 12 I think I may be pregnant and I have some pelvic pain. What should I do?
• 13 What is pelvic inflammatory disease and how can it be treated?
• Mittelschmertz

FIBROIDS

•  What are fibroids?
•  I have fibroids. What difficulties might they cause for me?
•  How are fibroids diagnosed?
•  How could my fibroids be treated?

  ENDOMETRIOSIS

•  What is endometriosis?
•  How prevalent is endometriosis?
•  What causes endometriosis?
•  How can my endometriosis be treated?
•  How can my doctor determine the cause of my pelvic pain?
•  What investigations might be recommended by my gynaecologist to investigate my pelvic pain?
•  What is laparoscopy?
•  What are pelvic adhesions?
•  I have chronic pelvic pain. Could this be related to adhesions?
•  What is uterine retroversion (retroverted uterus)
•   Does a retroverted uterus (backward tilted uterus) cause symptoms?
•  How is a retroverted uterus - backward tilted uterus - treated?
•  What is pelvic congestion?
•  What causes pain associated with sexual intercourse (dyspareunia)
•  How can painful sexual intercourse (dyspareunia) be treated?
•  What is a pelvic mass?

  IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME - IBS

•  What is irritable bowel syndrome?
•  How can we find out if I have irritable bowel syndrome?
•  Is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) a common condition?
•  What causes IBS?
•  What is the pain associated with IBS like?
•  Can IBS be mistaken for gynaecological problems?
•  How can my IBS be treated?
•  What other treatments are available for IBS?
•  What can be done to reduce the amount of bowel gas(flatus)
•  What is constipation?
•  What causes constipation?
•   How can constipation be treated?
•  How could we summarise the treatments that are available for my pelvic pain?
•  Where can I obtain more information?
•  Pelvic Pain Support Groups.
•  Endometriosis Support Groups.
•  IBS Support Groups.




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This is the personal website of David A Viniker MD FRCOG, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Whipps Cross University Hospital, London - Specialist Interests - Reproductive Medicine including Infertility, PCOS, PMS, Menopause and HRT.

I do hope that you find the answers to your women's health questions in the patient information and medical advice provided.