Efficacy of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device in the treatment of recurrent pelvic pain in multitreated endometriosis.

The Journal of reproductive medicine · 2012 · vol. 56(11-12) , pp. 497–503 · PMID:22195333 · W2310830949
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This prospective study found that the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device improved pelvic pain in nearly 70% of endometriosis patients with recurrent pain unresponsive to prior treatments.

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device (LNG-IUD) in the treatment of pelvic pain in patients with endometriosis in which previous medical and surgical treatments have failed. STUDY DESIGN: This prospective study evaluated pelvic pain by means of both a visual analog grading scale and a verbal descriptive grading scale. Pain was evaluated before insertion of the LNG-IUD and afterwards, at 3-month intervals. Adverse effects and reasons for removal were recorded. Me dian follow-up was 22 months (range, 3-36 months). Response rates were expressed as a percentage of the initial cohort in whom the LNG-IUD was inserted, including cases in which the LNG-IUD was extracted. RESULTS: Three months after LNG-IUD insertion, almost 50% of patients reported an improvement in pain symptoms, with this figure rising to 60% after 6 months and almost 70% by the end of follow-up. A trend of better responses was observed when endometriosis was diagnosed <10 years before, as well as in stage I-II endometriosis, but these differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: In endometriosis patients with recurrent pelvic pain in whom previous medical and surgical treatments have failed, LNG-IUD insertion should be considered before radical surgery is performed.

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Condition tags

endometriosischronic_pelvic_pain

MeSH descriptors

Contraceptive Agents, Female Endometriosis Intrauterine Devices, Medicated Levonorgestrel Pelvic Pain Adolescent Adult Contraceptive Agents, Female Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Humans Levonorgestrel Middle Aged Pain Measurement Pelvic Pain Prospective Studies Recurrence Severity of Illness Index Treatment Outcome

Citation neighborhood

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

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