Laparoscopic findings in women with chronic pelvic pain
Observational
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CC0
⤵ 18 in-corpus citations
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This study reviewed 136 women with chronic pelvic pain, finding no cause in 30%, endometriosis in 16%, and adhesions in 40%, with no significant demographic or symptomatic differences between groups.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to assess the spectrum of pelvic pathology observed at laparoscopy in women with chronic pelvic pain, and to compare women with an identifiable cause of pain to those with no visible pelvic pathology, with regard to symptomatology and demography.
DESIGN: Retrospective case control study reviewing laparoscopy reports and patient records.
SETTING: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Groote Schuur Hospital.
PATIENTS: One hundred and thirty-six consecutive women undergoing laparoscopic assessment for undiagnosed pelvic pain of at least 6 months' duration, between 1989 and 1991.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The presence of endometriosis, pelvic adhesions, other pelvic pathology and 'negative' laparoscopic findings was assessed. The association between pelvic pathology and specific symptomatology, fertility, contraceptive use, past pelvic surgery, ethnic group and smoking is examined.
RESULTS: No cause of pain was identified at laparoscopy in 30% of these patients, while endometriosis was found in 16% of women and pelvic adhesions in 40%. The 41 women with no identifiable laparoscopic abnormality did not differ significantly from the 95 with pelvic abnormalities in respect of age, parity, duration of pain, frequency of dysmenorrhoea and dyspareunia or the presence of gastro-intestinal or urinary symptoms. However, injectable hormonal contraception use was more common in the group with negative laparoscopic findings and smoking was more common among the women with pelvic pathology.
CONCLUSION: Chronic pelvic pain with a laparoscopically normal pelvis is a common problem in Cape Town, occurring with a frequency similar to that reported from various overseas centres. Women with this problem are not readily identified by demographic profile or symptom complex.
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Cited by (15)
- The role of laparoscopy in the propaedeutics of gynecological diagnosis1 2019
- Women’s attitude toward gynecological pain in fertile age: Results from a cross-sectional study among Italian community pharmacies 2018
- Chronic pelvic pain in endometriosis: an overview 2013
- Chronic Pelvic Pain: An Overview 2013
- Laparoscopic findings in chronic pelvic pain 2013
- The Role of Diagnostic Laparoscopy in Detection of Endometriosis 2012
- How can we reduce negative laparoscopies for pelvic pain? 2011
- Diagnostic laparoscopy in chronic pelvic pain 2010
- Laparoscopic Treatment of Pelvic Pain 2010
- EAU guidelines on chronic pelvic pain 2009
- Laparoscopy in chronic pelvic pain 2008
- Impact of diagnostic laparoscopy on the management of chronic pelvic pain 2006
- Different methods for evaluation of chronic pelvic pain 2005
- Laparoscopic Surgery for Pelvic Pain 2002
- Dolor pélvico crónico: enfoque multidisciplinario 2000
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- europepmc
- last seen: 2026-10-12T06:17:10.165071+00:00
- openalex
- last seen: 2026-06-10T17:14:06.276822+00:00
- pubmed
- last seen: 2026-10-08T22:00:16.042305+00:00
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