Diagnosis and Management of Pelvic Congestion Syndrome: Comprehensive Review

Baydaa Alsannan, Ahmad Alzeeny, Andrea Etrusco, Antonio Simone Laganà, Antonio D'Amato, Antonio D’Amato, Togas Tulandi
In: Gynecologic and Obstetric Investigation · 2024 · vol. 89(6) , pp. 437–444 · doi:10.1159/000539931 · PMID:38981444 · W4400517744
review OA: bronze CC0
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-10 ⓘ

This review updates knowledge on the etiology, diagnosis, and management of pelvic congestion syndrome, a poorly understood cause of chronic pelvic pain in women, highlighting the need for increased awareness and further research.

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS) is a poorly understood condition that can be associated with chronic pelvic pain and could impact quality of life. The diagnosis is often made by exclusion of other causes of pelvic pain. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our review was to provide an update on the etiology, anatomy, physiology, identification, and the therapeutic management of PCS. METHOD: We conducted a literature review involving publications from 2003 to 2024 in PubMed, Elsevier, MEDLINE, as well as manual searches of primary and review articles using keywords such as "pelvic veins", "embolization", "venography", "pelvic congestion syndrome", and "chronic pelvic pain". CONCLUSION: PCS remains poorly understood. Symptoms can be non-specific and difficult to distinguish from other diseases; yet it is an important cause of chronic pelvic pain in women. To date, there have been only a small number of randomized trials and high-level evidence is still lacking. OUTLOOK: We call for an increased awareness of PCS and additional clinical studies in a large number of patients.

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Condition tags

chronic_pelvic_pain

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last seen: 2026-05-14T06:31:37.849631+00:00
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