Female Pelvic Pain: Assessment

Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) in women is responsible for greater than 10% of referrals to gynecologists. A majority of them will remain undiagnosed or inadequately treated. Over time, CPP may lead to a syndrome that results in disability, loss of employment, and discord within relationships. This review discusses how to achieve a comprehensive assessment of CPP from a variety of causes. This review contains 12 figures, 2 tables and 57 references Key Words: dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, irritable bowel syndrome, pelvic floor dysfunction, pelvic pain, pudendal neuralgia, somatic pain, visceral pain