Chronic Pelvic Pain

Dr. Dev Narayan Shukla

P G Resident
Ob/Gyn
J K Lon
 Objectives for Chronic Pelvic Pain
 Define chronic pelvic pain
 Cite the prevalence and common etiologies of chronic
pelvic pain
 Describe the symptoms and physical exam findings
associated with chronic pelvic pain
 Discuss the psychosocial issues associated with
chronic pelvic pain
 Discuss the steps in the evaluation and management
options for chronic pelvic pain
 Definition

 Pelvic pain of more than 6 months duration that

has a significant effect on daily function and
quality of life
 Includes reproductive and non-reproductive related
pelvic pain that is primarily acyclic
 Prevalence

 Overall 15-20% of women aged 18 to 50 yrs have

chronic pelvic pain that lasts > 1 year
 10-30% of gynecologic visits
 12-19% of hysterectomies (~ 80,000/yr.)
 30% of laparoscopy indications
 Common Etiologies

 (Percentages vary widely depending on practice setting

 No apparent pathology ~ 33%
 Endometriosis ~ 33%
 Adhesions or Chronic PID ~ 25%
 Other causes ~ 9%
 Gynecologic
 Genitourinary
 Gastrointestinal
 Neuromuscular
 Psychological
 Etiology: Gynecologic

 Gynecologic
 Endometriosis
 Adhesions
 Chronic PID
 Ovarian remnant syndrome
 Pelvic congestion syndrome
 Recurrent hemorrhagic ovarian cysts
 Myomata uteri (degenerating)
 Uterine retroversion
 Adenomyosis
 Pelvic floor and hip muscle pain
 Visceral hyperalgesia
 Etiology: Non-Gynecologic

 Genitourinary
 Urinary retention
 Urethral syndrome
 Interstitial cystitis
 Gastrointestinal
 Penetrating neoplasms
 Irritable bowel syndrome
 Irritable bowel disease
 Partial small bowel obstruction
 Diverticulitis
 Hernia
 Etiology: Non-Gynecologic

 Neuromuscular
 Nerve entrapment syndrome
 Generalized myofascial pain syndrome
 Fibromyalgia

 Psychological
 Depression
 PTSD (history of abuse/trauma)
 Anxiety disorders
 Personality disorder
 Symptoms

 Dysmenorrhea
 Pain lasting > 6 months
 Impaired lifestyle
 Dyspareunia
 Pain during daily activities
 Patient Evaluation: History

 Characteristics of the pain:

 Onset
 Location
 Duration
 Radiation
 Severity
 Alleviating/aggravating factors
 Relation to menstrual cycle
 Cyclic vs. non-cyclic
 Evolution over time
 Responses to treatments
 Patient Evaluation: Psychological

 Psychological Evaluation
 Use good clinical judgment in deciding when/if to ask about
this!
 History of traumatic event
 History of abuse (emotional/physical/sexual)
 Depression
 Anxiety
 Hypochondriasis
 Secondary gain
 Therapy/counseling about these events?
 How much do they enter the patient’s thoughts on a daily
basis?
 Physical exam
• Observe patient’s mobility as she gets up on
the table.
• Palpate the entire back, but especially the
paraspinous and SI joint areas
– Referred pain?
• Then palpate abdomen
 Patient Evaluation: Physical Exam

 Abdominal exam
 Listen for bowel sounds
 Ask patient to point to exact location of pain, radiation, and
grade its severity (scale of 0 to 10)
 Ask the patient to map and demonstrate her tender area(s)
by palpating with and without abdominal wall flexion
 Palpate entire abdomen with a single digit, with and w/o
abdominal wall flexion (Carnett sign)
 Palpate from least painful area to most painful area
 Referred pain?
 Patient Evaluation: Physical Exam

 Evaluate for nerve entrapment

 Trigger points
 Ilioinguinal, iliohypogastric, and genitofemoral nerves
 Abdominal wall and back dermatomes
 Mark “jump signs” (points of motion tenderness )
 Straight leg raise
 Patient Evaluation: Physical Exam

 Pelvic Exam: ask one question at a time

 Vulva
 General anatomy; educational exam as needed
 Retract labia; walk posterior vestibule with cotton-tipped applicator in
cases of dyspareunia or constant vulvar pain.
 Vagina
 Discharge
 Epithelial quality, lesions
 Cervix: Pap, cultures if indicated; Q-tip walk to evaluate sensitivity
 Single digit exam: what hurts? (Order determined by history)
 Cervix; motion tenderness
 Bladder and urethra
 Uterus, esp lower uterine segment
 Adnexa
 Levators, obturators, piriformi
 Referral of pain? Similarity to chief complaint?: “Does this hurt? Is it like the pain you
get? Does it travel anywhere?”
 Physical exam, continued
• Bimanual exam: size, shape, and mobility?
– Start with non-tender areas first
– Make two hands almost meet, sweep caudad
– Communicate with patient throughout
– Describe limits of exam due to habitus, guarding
– Examine to “count of 3” if patient is too
uncomfortable.
 Patient Evaluation: Physical Exam

 Pelvic Exam
 Fixed retroverted uterus & uterosacral tenderness/nodularity
 Endometriosis
 Bilateral, tender, irregularly enlarged adnexal structures
 Chronic salpingitis (PID)
 Enlarged, tender, boggy uterus
 Don’t forget the recto-vaginal examination!
 Especially when history includes central pain, dyschezia, or
dyspareunia.
 To eliminate the recto-vaginal exam in such cases is malpractice.
 Patient Evaluation: Further Studies

 Laboratory
 Complete blood count (CBC)
 Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) - nonspecific
 Urinalysis (UA)
 Urine pregnancy test (UPT)
 Gonorrhea/Chlamydia
 Testing
 Transvaginal ultrasound (adnexal mass, uterine irregularity)
 Abdominal and pelvic CT (bowel or urinary signs)
 Diagnostic laparoscopy
 Ultimate method of diagnosis for CPP of undetermined etiology
 Patient Evaluation: Further Studies

 Laparoscopy (% vary widely in different practice

settings)
 Normal pelvis
 Pelvic adhesions
 Non-gyn disease
 Endometriosis
 Fibroids
 Hernias
 Management

 Make a list of contributing factors; involve family

member when possible.
 Treat any underlying pathology, but don’t flog it to
death.
 Include treatment of contributing factors as a package
deal
 Establish a therapeutic, supportive, and sympathetic
(but structured) physician-patient relationship
 Schedule regular follow-up appointments
 Patient should not be told to call ONLY if pain persists
 Deters pain behavior and secondary gain
 Management

 Educate, educate, educate

 Reassure patient of no serious underlying pathology
 Chronic v. acute pain
 Educate patient to likely mechanisms of pain production
 Central nervous system: centralization
 Neuropathic
 Muscular
 Psychological (most often in reaction to pain events, not
the primary etiology)
 Management

Treating multiple components of pain has been showed to be

more effective than traditional gynecologic management.
This can be accomplished in a single clinic, or through
collaboration among several specialists, such as
 Gynecologist
 Physical therapist
 + Anesthesiologist
 + Acupuncturist
 Psychologist
 Sex therapist
 Management

Pharmacologic therapies:
 Initial trial of hormonal manipulation
 Cyclic therapy/regulation of menses
 Suppress ovulation (OCP, DMPA and GnRH)
 Suppress menses (DMPA, high dose intrauterine progestins)
 NSAIDS
 Analgesics
 Nonnarcotic (ASA, Acetominophen)
 Narcotic – use cautiously (tolerance, dependence)
 SSRI’s or SNRI’s
 TCA’s, anti-epileptics
 Especially for pain with neuropathic components
 Management

Surgical therapies:
 Guarded prognosis in patients with multiple pain syndromes
 Degree of relief has uncertain relationship to amount of
pathology; most can be done laparoscopically
 Unilateral adnexectomy
 Hysterectomy + BSO
 Presacral neurectomy
 Uterine suspension
 Lysis of adhesions
 Resection/ablation of endometriosis
Anesthesia:
 Acupuncture
 Nerve blocks
 Trigger point injections
 Bottom Line Concepts
 Chronic pelvic pain is pelvic pain of more than 6 months duration that
has a significant effect on daily function and quality of life.
 It affects 15-24% of American women in varying degrees of severity and
accounts for a large portion of office visit and time.
 Chronic pelvic pain is caused by a variety of factors including
gynecologic, genitourinary, gastrointestinal, neuromuscular, and
psychological.
 Diagnostic laparoscopy is the ultimate method of diagnosis for patients
with chronic pelvic pain of undetermined etiology.
 Multidisciplinary approach has been shown to be more effective than
pharmacologic or surgical therapy alone.
 Even when etiology is determined, chronic pelvic pain can be difficult
to treat and patients need to be seen regularly and provided much
support.
 References and Resources
 APGO, Chronic Pelvic Pain: An Integrated Approach. APGO Educational Series
on Women’s Heath Issues, APGO, Washington, DC, January 2000.
 APGO Medical Student Educational Objectives, 9th edition, (2009), Educational
Topic 39 (p82-83).
 Beckman & Ling: Obstetrics and Gynecology, 6th edition, (2010), Charles RB
Beckmann, Frank W Ling, Barabara M Barzansky, William NP Herbert, Douglas
W Laube, Roger P Smith. Chapter 30 (p279-282).
 Hacker & Moore: Hacker and Moore's Essentials of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
5th edition (2009), Neville F Hacker, Joseph C Gambone, Calvin J Hobel.
Chapter 21 (p259-264).
 Katz: Comprehensive Gynecology, 5th edition, (2007), Vern Katz, Gretchen
Lentz, Rogerio Lobo, David Gershenson. Chapter 8.