Non-Gynecological Causes of Pelvic Pain

Pelvic pain is a common complaint in women of all ages and may be due to many different causes. Whatever the cause of the pain, a thorough clinical history and physical examination is mandatory. Pelvic pain may be acute or chronic. This chapter reviews the clinical use of pelvic ultrasound scan for evaluating non-gynecological causes of pelvic pain in women. The evaluation of non-pregnant women presenting with acute right lower quadrant abdominal pain remains a clinical challenge. Acute appendicitis, right ureteric calculi, and adnexal pathology are the main entities causing this type of pain. Clinical manifestations may be similar in all these entities, including acute onset pain with variable intensity, often associated with nausea, vomiting, leukocytosis, and fever. Bladder lesions are not a frequent cause of pelvic pain. However, for any woman presenting with hypogastric pain, assessment of the bladder is advisable.