Reduced pain thresholds and signs of sensitization in women with persistent pelvic pain and suspected endometriosis

Pain sensitivity questionnaire in endometriosis

There is increasing recognition that nociplastic pain and central sensitization may play a role in endometriosis-associated pain. The Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire Minor (PSQ-M) evaluates subjective widespread pain sensitivity, and is linked to pain outcomes in chronic pain populations. However, evidence connecting the PSQ-M to central sensitization in endometriosis is limited. Using the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI) as a comparison, this study compared the PSQ-M as a clinical proxy for central sensitization in endometriosis individuals. Data collected from 983 endometriosis participants (mean age of 34 years), between January 2020 and December 2022, were analyzed from a prospective registry. A significant but weak positive correlation was observed between PSQ-M and CSI scores (r=0.099, p<0.001). A significant but weak correlation was found between the number of central sensitivity syndromes and pelvic pain-related comorbidities with the PSQ-M (r=0.093, p<0.001), compared to a stronger correlation with the CSI (r=0.687, p<0.05). PSQ-M scores were not significantly associated with baseline (r=0.013, p=0.797) or post-operative (r=-0.046, p=0.801) quality-of-life. There was no change in the PSQ-M and a small change in CSI after endometriosis surgery, suggesting that surgical treatment of endometriosis does not directly address central sensitization. In conclusion, the PSQ-M may not be the optimal clinical proxy for central sensitization in endometriosis. PERSPECTIVE: This study evaluates the Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire - Minor (PSQ-M) as a proxy for central sensitization in endometriosis. The PSQ-M showed weak correlations with central sensitivity syndromes and pain scores and was not associated with post-surgical quality-of-life, suggesting it may not be the optimal tool for assessing central sensitization in endometriosis.

Gastrointestinal function outcomes following radical and conservative colorectal surgery for deep endometriosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Patients who have undergone colorectal surgery for symptomatic deep endometriosis may still encounter persistent or worsening digestive complaints. The aim of the present work was to analyze gastrointestinal function outcomes after radical and conservative colorectal surgery to further elucidate the effect of surgery on postoperative bowel function.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Clinical Trials.gov and the Cochrane Database databases were searched from January 1, 2010 until April 1, 2024. The quality of included studies was assessed by the Downs and Black quality checklist. Studies including patients with colorectal endometriosis who either underwent segmental resection (SR) or conservative approaches and reported data on bowel function were included.

RESULTS

From the initial pool of 55 studies, 14 reported patient reported outcome measures eligible to be pooled in the meta-analysis. Conservative surgery was less associated with constipation and increased number of daily stool (>3/day) when compared to SR (p = 0.02 and p = 0,0004, respectively). No difference was found in the occurrence of gas and stool incontinence (p = 0.72), postsurgical defecation pain (p = 0.44) and time to defer defecation (≤ 15 min; p = 0.64). Patients in the conservative surgery group reported higher postoperative Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI) when compared to SR (p = 0.01). However, when comparing changes between pre- and postsurgical patient reported outcome measures within the respective groups, rather than evaluating postsurgical outcomes alone, none of the intervention groups showed significant changes between pre- and postsurgical GIQLI, Knowles Eccersley Scott Symptom Score(KESS) and Wexner scores (p = 0.28, p = 0.94 and p = 0.78, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Segmental resection seems to be associated with higher rates of post-operative constipation and lower GIQLI scores when compared to conservative surgery. However, when comparing the change of gastrointestinal function symptoms reflected by changes of gastrointestinal function parameters from pre- to postoperative rather than focusing on purely postoperative parameters alone, no significant difference of these parameters was observed between surgical techniques.

The Development and Validation of a Patient Questionnaire Tool for the Assessment of Patient-Reported Experiences With Endometriosis Ultrasound

OBJECTIVES

Endometriosis ultrasound is an accurate, cost-effective, and non-invasive diagnostic tool that can help improve the diagnostic delay that patients with endometriosis experience. As an emerging diagnostic method, the perspectives of patients undergoing endometriosis ultrasound remain unexplored. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop and validate an assessment tool that evaluates patient-reported experiences with endometriosis ultrasound as a decision-making tool.

METHODS

This was a 2-part study with the first phase involving a modified Delphi consensus process including a panel of clinicians, sonologists, researchers, and a patient with lived experience of endometriosis. Pre- and post-ultrasound patient questionnaires were subsequently developed. The second phase included validating the questionnaires via a prospective cross-sectional survey study carried out at the Endometriosis Clinic at McMaster University Medical Centre in Hamilton, Canada. Data were analyzed using measures of central tendency, chi-square test, and Fisher exact test as appropriate. Statistical significance was determined by 2-sided P values less than 0.05.

RESULTS

Pre- and post-ultrasound questionnaires were developed comprising 8 and 10 questions, respectively. Of 46 respondents, there was a similar representation of patients with an abnormal endometriosis ultrasound (58.7% of patients, n = 27) and those with a normal endometriosis ultrasound (41.3 %, n = 19). Moreover, endometriosis ultrasound results helped most participants (84.8%, n = 39) with treatment decision-making.

CONCLUSIONS

This study validates a survey tool that can be used clinically to assess patient-reported experiences with endometriosis ultrasound. It also demonstrates the highly informative nature of endometriosis ultrasound, with many patients choosing to defer more invasive diagnostic methods (i.e., surgery).

Effects of motor imagery and action observation on pelvic floor and related structures in healthy women: A randomized controlled trial

The main aim was to assess the effects of motor imagery (MI) and action observation (AO) plus physical exercise (PE) on pelvic floor and related structures. Forty-four healthy women were randomized into three groups: MI, AO, or sham observation (SO) group. The outcome measures included the pelvic floor muscles (PFM) condition (including basal tone and strength), lumbo-pelvic motor control, and pain sensitivity. All women performed six sessions at the rate of 3 s/week (for 2 weeks). An initial assessment was carried out (T0), another one 1-week after starting the study (T1), and a third one at the end (T2). Results showed significant PFM strength gains in MI and AO groups, but not in the SO group. Regarding lumbo-pelvic motor control, both MI and AO groups obtained statistically significant changes between pre- and post-intervention Additionally, only the AO group showed significant improvements already at 1-week of intervention. Finally, all groups showed improved pain sensitivity in the likely area of referred menstrual pain post-intervention, with only the MI group showing changes 1 week after starting the intervention. In conclusion, results showed that adding MI and AO to PE program leads to an improvement of sensorimotor function of PFM and related structures in general. Despite finding no statistically significant inter-group differences, some findings such as strength gains or the lumbo-pelvic motor control improvements were only found in MI and AO groups, and this should be considered clinically.

Effectiveness of nonpharmacological conservative therapies for chronic pelvic pain in women: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness of nonpharmacological conservative therapies for women with CPP.

DATA SOURCES

A systematic search of electronic databases (Amed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, SportDiscuss, Medline, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) was performed in January 2023, and updated in December 2023.

STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Randomized controlled trials comparing a nonpharmacological conservative therapy to inert (eg, placebo, usual care) or nonconservative (eg, surgical, pharmacological) treatment were included. Conservative therapies of interest to this review were: multimodal physical therapy, predominantly psychological approaches, acupuncture, and other tissue-based monotherapies (eg, electrophysical agents, manual stretching).

STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS

All study data were aggregated, and analyses of the included studies were performed. Effects on pain; sexual measures; psychological and physical function; health-related quality of life; symptom severity/bother; pelvic floor muscle function and morphometry; perceived improvement; and adverse events were analyzed. Meta-analyses (random effects model) were conducted using postintervention scores for data that included similar interventions and outcomes. Standardized mean differences were calculated. A narrative summary of findings that could not be included in the meta-analysis is provided. The quality of the evidence was assessed with the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale and the certainty of evidence with Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations criteria.

RESULTS

Of 5776 retrieved studies, 38 randomized controlled trials including 2168 women (mean age 35.1±8.6) were included. Meta-analyses revealed that multimodal physical therapy resulted in lower pain intensity compared to inert or nonconservative treatments in both the short (standardized mean difference -1.69, 95% confidence interval -2.54, -0.85; high certainty) and intermediate-terms (standardized mean difference -1.82, 95% confidence interval -3.13, -0.52; moderate certainty), while predominantly psychological approaches resulted in no difference in pain intensity (standardized mean difference -0.18, 95% confidence interval -0.56, 0.20; moderate certainty) and a slight difference in sexual function (standardized mean difference -0.28, 95% confidence interval -0.52, -0.04; moderate certainty). The level of evidence regarding the meta-analysis of the effects of acupuncture on pain intensity (standardized mean difference 1.08, 95% confidence interval -1.38, 3.54, nonstatistically significant results in favor of control treatment) precluded any statement of certainty. A limited number of trials investigated individual tissue-based monotherapies, providing a restricted body of evidence.

CONCLUSION

This systematic review with meta-analysis revealed that multimodal physical therapy is effective in women with chronic pelvic pain with a high certainty of evidence.

Nociplastic Pain in Endometriosis: A Scoping Review

Endometriosis is an inflammatory chronic condition associated with nociceptive, neuropathic, and nociplastic pain. Central sensitization (CS) is the primary nociplastic pain mechanism. However, there are currently no standardized methods for detecting CS or nociplastic pain. This review aims to identify available tools for characterizing CS/nociplastic pain in endometriosis-related chronic pelvic pain. Following the PRISMA-P protocol, MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and PsychINFO databases were searched on 23 April 2024, for the terms "endometriosis", "central sensitization", "nociplastic pain", "widespread pain", and "assessment tools". Publications were selected if they mentioned tool(s) for detecting nociplastic pain or CS in endometriosis patients. Information was extracted on study demographics, assessment types, and the tools used for detection. Of the 379 citations retrieved, 30 papers met the inclusion criteria. When working to identify CS and nociplastic pain, fourteen studies exclusively used patient-reported questionnaires, six used quantitative sensory testing (QST), two used clinical assessments, and eight used multiple approaches combining patient-reported questionnaires and clinical assessment. This review illustrates the diversity of tools currently used to identify CS and nociplastic pain in endometriosis patients. Further research is needed to evaluate their validity and to standardize methods in order to improve the accuracy of nociplastic pain identification and guide treatment.

Psychological Factors Modulate Quantitative Sensory Testing Measures in Fibromyalgia Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Regression Analysis

OBJECTIVE

Considering the growing evidence that psychological variables might contribute to fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), our study aims to understand the impact of psychological factors in quantitative sensory testing (QST) in FMS patients by performing a systematic review with meta-analysis.

METHODS

A systematic search was carried out in PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and PsycINFO databases for records up until January 2024. We included 20 studies ( n = 1623, 16 randomized controlled trials, and 4 nonrandomized controlled trials) with low or moderate risk of bias included.

RESULTS

From nonrandomized evidence, our meta-analysis found a baseline relationship between anxiety, depression, and pain catastrophizing and QST measures in FMS patients. Higher pain catastrophizing levels were associated with less efficient conditioned pain modulation. Higher anxiety and depression were associated with lower pain threshold (PT). Randomized evidence showed a statistically significant increase in PT after fibromyalgia treatments (effect size = 0.29, 95% confidence interval = 0.03-0.56). The effect was not influenced by treatment type. Moreover, we found that only anxiety levels before treatment negatively influenced the PT improvements after treatment.

CONCLUSION

FMS patients with higher anxiety levels at baseline showed a smaller increase in PT after the intervention. Depression factor was not significant in either changes in anxiety or depression. Baseline anxiety levels should be monitored as possible confounders of QST measurements. Understanding how psychological factors and QST are related in FMS patients is critical for improving the syndrome's management and treatment.Protocol Registration: CRD42023429397.

Peripheral and central neuroplasticity in a mouse model of endometriosis

Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is the most debilitating symptom of gynaecological disorders such as endometriosis. However, it remains unclear how sensory neurons from pelvic organs affected by endometriosis, such as the female reproductive tract, detect and transmit nociceptive events and how these signals are processed within the central nervous system (CNS). Using a previously characterized mouse model of endometriosis, we investigated whether the increased pain sensitivity occurring in endometriosis could be attributed to (i) changes in mechanosensory properties of sensory afferents innervating the reproductive tract, (ii) alterations in sensory input from reproductive organs to the spinal cord or (iii) neuroinflammation and sensitization of spinal neural circuits. Mechanosensitivity of vagina-innervating primary afferents was examined using an ex vivo single-unit extracellular recording preparation. Nociceptive signalling from the vagina to the spinal cord was quantified by phosphorylated MAP kinase ERK1/2 immunoreactivity. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine glial and neuronal circuit alterations within the spinal cord. We found that sensory afferents innervating the rostral, but not caudal portions of the mouse vagina, developed mechanical hypersensitivity in endometriosis. Nociceptive signalling from the vagina to the spinal cord was significantly enhanced in mice with endometriosis. Moreover, mice with endometriosis developed microgliosis, astrogliosis and enhanced substance P neurokinin-1 receptor immunoreactivity within the spinal cord, suggesting the development of neuroinflammation and sensitization of spinal circuitry in endometriosis. These results demonstrate endometriosis-induced neuroplasticity occurring at both peripheral and central sites of sensory afferent pathways. These findings may help to explain the altered sensitivity to pain in endometriosis and provide a novel platform for targeted pain relief treatments for this debilitating disorder.

Psychological characteristics and structural brain changes in women with endometriosis and endometriosis-independent chronic pelvic pain

STUDY QUESTION

Are there neurobiological changes induced by endometriosis?

SUMMARY ANSWER

Women with endometriosis demonstrate specific neurobiological changes distinct from those in patients with chronic pelvic pain (CPP) in the absence of endometriosis.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

Endometriosis is a chronic disease affecting women of reproductive age that presents with pain and infertility often accompanied by comorbid mental disorders. Only one study with a number of limitations has investigated changes in gray matter volumes and functional connectivity in a small group of patients with endometriosis.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

This prospective study recruited 53 women undergoing a laparoscopy due to suspicion of symptomatic endometriosis and 25 healthy, pain-free women. Clinical and psychological characteristics, thermal pain perception, and voxel- and surface-based morphology were assessed in all study participants. Thereafter, the patients underwent a laparoscopy, where endometriosis was either histologically confirmed and removed, or ruled out. Correspondingly, patients were assigned into the group with endometriosis (n = 27) or with endometriosis-independent CPP (n = 26) and compared to the pain-free controls.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

The study groups were generally representative for the population of women with endometriosis. Sociodemographic, medical, clinical, and psychological characteristics were collected using various questionnaires and a structured clinical interview. Thermal pain perception and voxel- and surface-based morphometry were assessed using thermode and MRI, respectively.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

Despite comparable pain intensity and burden of mental disorders, both patient groups demonstrated distinct neurobiological patterns. Women with endometriosis exhibited increased gray matter volume (GMV) in the left cerebellum, lingual gyrus and calcarine gyrus, compared to those with endometriosis-independent CPP. Patients with CPP had decreased GMV in the right cerebellum as compared to controls. Dysmenorrhoea severity correlated positively with GMV in the left inferior parietal lobule, whereas depressive symptoms were associated with decreased GMV in the right superior medial gyrus across patient groups. Dyspareunia correlated negatively with cortical thickness in the left inferior temporal gyrus and left middle temporal gyrus.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

The study groups differed in a few baseline-characteristics, including educational levels, smoking and BMI. While measuring pain perception thresholds, we did not attempt to mimic CPP by placement of the thermode on the abdominal wall.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

Changes in gray matter volume associated with endometriosis differ from those observed in women with endometriosis-independent CPP. Our results underline an involvement of the cerebellum in pain perception and the pathogenesis of pain associated with endometriosis.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)

This work was funded by the START Program of the Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Germany, and supported by the International Research Training Group (IRTG 2150) of the German Research Foundation (DFG)-269953372/GRK2150, Germany. S.T. was supported by postdoctoral fellowship of the Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Germany. There are no conflicts of interest.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

DRKS00021236.

The Benefits of an Integral HAMMAM Experience Combining Hydrotherapy and Swedish Massage on Pain, Subjective Well-Being and Quality of Life in Women with Endometriosis-Related Chronic Pelvic Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background and Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of an integral HAMMAM experience, a 4-week therapeutic program that combined hydrotherapy and Swedish massage, applied in a multisensorial immersive environment, on pain, well-being and quality of life (QoL) in women with endometriosis-related chronic pelvic pain that is unresponsive to conventional treatment. Materials and Methods: This randomized controlled trial included 44 women with endometriosis. They were randomly allocated to either the 'HAMMAM' group (n = 21) or to a control group (n = 23). The primary outcome, pain intensity, was evaluated using numeric rating scales (NRSs). The secondary outcomes were pain interference, pain-related catastrophic thoughts, pressure pain thresholds (PPTs), subjective well-being, functional capacity and QoL, which were evaluated using the brief pain inventory (BPI), the pain catastrophizing scale (PCS), algometry, the subjective well-being scale-20 (EBS-20), the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-29 (PROMIS-29) and the Endometriosis Health Profile-30 Questionnaire (EHP-30), respectively. The primary and secondary outcomes were measured at the baseline and after the intervention. The statistical (between-group analyses of covariance) and clinical effects were analyzed by the intention to treat. Results: The adherence rate was 100.0% and the mean (± standard deviation) satisfaction was 9.71 ± 0.46 out of 10. No remarkable health problems were reported during the trial. The 'HAMMAM' intervention improved dysmenorrhea and dyspareunia after the intervention with large and moderate effect sizes, respectively. Improvements in pain interference during sleep and PPTs in the pelvic region were also observed in women allocated to the 'HAMMAM' group. No effects were observed in catastrophizing thoughts, well-being nor QoL, except for the sleep subscale. Conclusions: A 4-week program of an integral 'HAMMAM' experience combining hydrotherapy and massage in a multisensorial immersive environment is a feasible and effective intervention to alleviate pain during menstruation and sexual intercourse as well as pain interference with sleep in women with endometriosis.

Pain after laparoscopic endometriosis-specific vs. hysterectomy surgeries: A retrospective cohort analysis

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate pain perception and analgesic use between patients who underwent endometriosis-specific laparoscopic surgery compared to laparoscopic hysterectomy.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included women diagnosed with endometriosis who underwent laparoscopic surgery from 1/2019 to 11/2022. The control group consisted of premenopausal women who underwent laparoscopic hysterectomy, which was considered a similarly extensive surgery. Demographics, preoperative and post-operative data were compared between groups. Post-operative pain scores on a visual analogue scale (VAS) between 0 (no pain) and 10 (worst pain) were compared between groups for each post-operative day (POD). Standard pain relief analgesia on POD 0-1 included fixed intravenous treatment with paracetamol and intramuscular diclofenac. The need for additional analgesics (morphine or dipyrone) beyond the standard pain relief protocol was compared between groups.

RESULTS

Among 200 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery, 100 (50%) were in the endometriosis group and 100 (50%) in the hysterectomy group. The endometriosis group was characterized by younger age and lower parity (both, p<0.001). There was no significant difference between the groups in mean VAS scores for each post-operative day. However, among patients who needed additional analgesics beyond the standard protocol on POD 1, a higher percentage of women in the endometriosis group used opioids rather than milder analgesics, as compared to controls (1% vs. 0.2%, respectively, p = 0.03).

CONCLUSION

Increased post-operative morphine use was observed in patients with endometriosis following laparoscopic surgery, despite no significant difference in mean VAS scores during the post-operative days. These findings suggest that personalized pain relief protocols should be adjusted for women with endometriosis.

World Endometriosis Research Foundation Endometriosis Phenome and Biobanking Harmonization Project: V. Physical examination standards in endometriosis research

OBJECTIVE

The World Endometriosis Research Foundation established the Endometriosis Phenome and Biobanking Harmonisation Project (EPHect) to create standardized documentation tools (with common data elements) to facilitate the comparison and combination of data across different research sites and studies. In 2014, 4 data research standards were published: clinician-reported surgical data, patient-reported clinical data, and fluid and tissue biospecimen collection. Our current objective is to create an EPHect standard for the clinician-reported physical examination (EPHect-PE) for research studies.

DESIGN

An international consortium involving 26 clinical and academic experts and patient partners from 11 countries representing 25 institutions and organizations. Two virtual workshops, followed by the development of the physical examination standards underwent multiple rounds of iterations and revisions.

SUBJECTS

N/A MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): N/A RESULT(S): The EPHect-PE tool provides standardized assessment of physical examination characteristics and pain phenotyping. Data elements involve examination of back and pelvic girdle; abdomen including allodynia and trigger points; vulva including provoked vestibulodynia; pelvic floor muscle tone and tenderness; tenderness on unidigital pelvic examination; presence of pelvic nodularity; uterine size and mobility; presence of adnexal masses; presence of incisional masses; speculum examination; tenderness and allodynia at an extra-pelvic site (e.g., forearm); and recording of anthropometrics.

CONCLUSION(S)

The EPHect-PE standards will facilitate the standardized documentation of the physical examination, including the assessment and documentation of examination phenotyping of endometriosis-associated pelvic pain.

Impact of patient-reported salpingitis on the outcome of hysterectomy and adnexal surgery: A national register-based cohort study in Sweden

INTRODUCTION

Salpingitis is caused by ascending microbes from the lower reproductive tract and contributes to tubal factor infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and chronic pelvic pain. The aim of this study was to analyze if the risk for complications and dissatisfaction after hysterectomy and adnexal surgery was increased in women reporting previous salpingitis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This is an observational cohort study including women undergoing gynecologic surgery from 1997 to 2020, registered in the Swedish National Quality Register of Gynecologic Surgery (GynOp). Patient-reported previous salpingitis was the exposure. Complications up to 8 weeks and satisfaction at 1 year postoperatively were the outcomes. Multivariable logistic regression and ordinal regression were performed. Results were adjusted for potential confounders including age, body mass index, smoking and year of procedure as well as endometriosis and previous abdominal surgery. Multiple imputation was used to handle missing data.

RESULTS

In this study, 61 222 women were included, of whom 5636 (9.2%) women reported a previous salpingitis. There was an increased risk for women reporting previous salpingitis in both the unadjusted and fully adjusted models to have complications within 8 weeks of surgery (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14-1.32). The highest odds ratios were found for bowel injury (aOR 1.62, 95% CI 1.29-2.03), bladder injury (aOR 1.52, 95% CI 1.23-1.58), and postoperative pain (aOR 1.37, 95% CI 1.22-1.54). Women exposed to salpingitis were also more likely to report a lower level of satisfaction 1 year after surgery compared with unexposed women (aOR 0.87, 95% CI 0.81-0.92).

CONCLUSIONS

Self-reported salpingitis appears to be a risk factor for complications and dissatisfaction after gynecologic surgery. This implies that known previous salpingitis should be included in the risk assessment before gynecologic procedures.

Are women with endometriosis more likely to experience reduced physical performance compared to women without the condition?

Background

Endometriosis is a condition of the female reproductive system associated with pelvic pain. Chronic pain can affect physical performance by limiting the functional activities, thus, it is hypothesized that women with endometriosis may also present decreased functional capacity, decreased strength, and mobility. The objective of this study is to compare physical performance in women with and without endometriosis.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional study composed of 115 women equally divided into two groups: the endometriosis group (EG), composed of women with a confirmed diagnosis of the disease by magnetic resonance imaging, and the comparator group (CG), consisting of women without suspicion of the disease. Physical performance (dependent variable) was assessed using hand dynamometry, the 6-min walk test (6MWT), gait speed, and the chair stands test. CG participants performed the tests during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Descriptive statistics, unpaired t-tests, and chi-square tests were used to describe and compare the groups. Multiple linear regression tested the associations adjusted for covariates (age, income, education, age at menarche, and body mass index).

Results

The EG had worse gait speed (mean difference: -0.11; 95% CI: [-0.18 to -0.04]), weaker grip strength (mean difference: -3.32; 95% CI: [-5.30 to -1.33]), shorter distance covered in the 6MWT (mean difference: -83.46; 95% CI: [-121.38 to -45.53]), and a lower number of repetitions in the chair stands test (mean difference: -8.44; 95% CI: [-10.64 to -6.25]) than the CG, even after adjusting for covariates.

Conclusion

Grip strength, lower limb strength, mobility, and functional capacity were worse in women diagnosed with endometriosis. Women with endometriosis should be encouraged to engage in physical exercise, adopt healthy lifestyle habits, and participate in rehabilitation activities to control pain, with the aim of reducing functional impairments.

Questionnaires for the Assessment of Central Sensitization in Endometriosis: What Is the Available Evidence? A Systematic Review with a Narrative Synthesis

It has been suggested that central sensitization (CS) may be involved in the failure of standard medical and surgical treatment to relieve endometriosis-related pain. However, there is no gold standard for the diagnosis of CS, and self-reported questionnaires are used as diagnostic surrogates. The main objective of this review was to identify all CS questionnaires used in clinical endometriosis studies. The secondary objective was to qualitatively analyze strengths and weaknesses of each questionnaire. A PubMed and EMBASE systematic literature search conducted in April 2023 using the terms "endometriosis; central pain; central sensitization; questionnaire; patient-reported outcome measure; screening tool" identified 122 publications: six articles were included in the review. The Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI) is the most frequently used questionnaire for the detection of CS in patients with endometriosis. It has been validated in patients with endometriosis, in whom it appears to have good psychometric proprieties. The Fibromyalgia Survey Questionnaire (FSQ) has also been used, although it has not been specifically validated in endometriosis patients. The debate regarding these questionnaires' construct validity is still open and will be so until a gold standard diagnostic tool for CS is found. In fact, some authors argue these questionnaires are measuring psychological vulnerability and a hypervigilant state that is associated with pain, rather than CS itself. However, their use should not be discouraged as they are able to identify chronic pain patients which warrant further attention and who may benefit from broader treatment strategies.

Pain perception and analgesic use after cesarean delivery among women with endometriosis

BACKGROUND

Patients with endometriosis are known to have altered pain perceptions. Cesarean delivery (CD) is one of the most prevalent surgeries performed worldwide. Appropriate pain control following CD is clinically important to the recovery and relief of patients. This study assessed pain perception and analgesic use after CD among women with or without endometriosis.

METHODS

This retrospective case control study included women diagnosed with endometriosis, based on clinical or surgical findings, who underwent CD from 2014 to 2022. Controls were matched to the study group by maternal age, BMI (kg/m2), parity, number of previous CDs and by CD indication, in a 2:1 ratio. Post-operative visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores, on each post-operative day (POD) were compared between groups. Pain intensity was measured and compared using the VAS, range 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain). The standard pain relief analgesia protocol in our department includes fixed oral treatment with paracetamol and diclofenac, with the addition of morphine sulphate on POD 0. Analgesic dosages used and the percentage of patients not using the full standard analgesic protocol were compared between groups.

RESULTS

As compared to controls (n = 142), the endometriosis group (n = 71) was characterized by higher rates of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) pregnancies and previous abdominal surgeries other than CD (p < .001 for both). Other maternal characteristics between groups did not differ. On POD 0, mean morphine dosage was significantly higher in the endometriosis group compared to the control group (24 mg vs. 22.8 mg, respectively; p = .044). More patients in the endometriosis group used the full standard analgesia protocol or more, as compared to controls. VAS scores were not significantly different between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Increased use of analgesics after CD was more common among women with endometriosis. These findings imply that pain relief protocols should be personalized for women with endometriosis.

A thematic synthesis of qualitative studies and surveys of the psychological experience of painful endometriosis

BACKGROUND

Endometriosis is a widespread problem in women of reproductive age, causing cyclical and non-cyclical pain in the pelvis and elsewhere, and associated with fatigue, fertility problems, and other symptoms. As a chronic pain problem, psychological variables are important in adjustment and quality of life, but have not been systematically studied.

METHODS

A systematic search of multiple databases was conducted to obtain surveys and qualitative studies of women's experience of pain from endometriosis. Surveys were combined narratively; qualitative studies were combined by thematic synthesis, and the latter rated for methodological quality.

RESULTS

Over 2000 records were screened on title and abstract, and provided 22 surveys and 33 qualitative studies from which accounts could be extracted of the psychological components of pain in endometriosis. Surveys mostly addressed quality of life in endometriosis, with poorer quality of life associated with higher levels of pain and of distress, but few referred to coherent psychological models. Qualitative studies focused rather on women's experience of living with endometriosis, including trajectories of diagnosis and treatment, with a few addressing meaning and identity. Thematic synthesis provided 10 themes, under the groupings of internal experience of endometriosis (impact on body, emotions, and life); interface with the external world (through self-regulation and social regulation); effects on interpersonal and social life, and encounters with medical care.

CONCLUSIONS

The psychological components of pain from endometriosis only partly corresponded with standard psychological models of pain, derived from musculoskeletal pain studies, with fewer fears about physical integrity and more about difficulties of managing pain and other symptoms in social settings, including work. Better understanding of the particular psychological threats of endometriosis, and integration of this understanding into medical care with opportunities for psychologically-based pain management, would substantially improve the experience and quality of life of women with painful endometriosis.

Presence of endometriosis and chronic overlapping pain conditions negatively impacts the pain experience in women with chronic pelvic-abdominal pain: A cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND

Evidence of overlap between endometriosis and chronic pain conditions is emerging; however, little is known about how the pain experience differs based on the presence or absence of endometriosis.

OBJECTIVES

In a sample of women reporting chronic pelvic-abdominal pain (CPP), the aim of this study was to characterize differences in pain symptomatology between women with and without endometriosis and to examine the influence of chronic overlapping pain conditions (COPCs) on pain among these two groups.

DESIGN

This was a cross-sectional study, based on an online survey.

METHODS

Participants (aged 18+ years) completed a survey collecting pain diagnoses and symptoms assessing pelvic pain severity, pain interference, and pain impact. Independent sample t-tests, chi-square, and multiple linear regression models were employed to analyze group differences in pain symptomatology and COPCs.

RESULTS

Of the 525 respondents with CPP, 25% (n = 133) reported having endometriosis. Women with endometriosis were younger at the onset of pelvic pain, relative to women without endometriosis (p = 0.04). There were no differences in age, race, ethnicity, or duration of pelvic pain between women with and without endometriosis. Women with endometriosis reported higher pelvic pain severity (+0.8, 95% CI = 0.4-1.1), pain interference (+5.9, 95% CI = 2.4-9.3), and pain impact (+1.9, 95% CI = 0.8-2.9). Endometriosis was associated with a higher number of COPCs (p = 0.003), with 25% (n = 33) of women reporting ⩾3 overlapping pain conditions compared with 12% (n = 45) of those without endometriosis. Women with endometriosis had a higher frequency of fibromyalgia (p < 0.001), chronic fatigue syndrome (p < 0.001), and temporomandibular disorder (p = 0.001). The number of COPCs was associated with higher pain severity, interference, and impact, independently of endometriosis.

CONCLUSION

Women with endometriosis experienced higher levels of pain-related burden and COPCs compared with those without endometriosis. Pain intensity, interference, and impact increased with a higher number of pain conditions regardless of endometriosis presence.

Multimodal therapies and strategies for the treatment of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome in Taiwan

Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is a chronic disease characterized by bladder pain, frequency, and nocturia. The most common pathologies include chronic inflammation and bladder urothelium dysfunction. According to the bladder condition with or without Hunner's lesions, IC/BPS can be divided into "IC" in patients with Hunner's lesion (HIC) and "BPS" in those without Hunner's lesion (NHIC). Previous studies have reported greater central sensitization and interorgan cross-talk in patients with NHIC. Multimodal treatments have been recommended in clinical guidelines under the biopsychosocial model. The bladder-gut-brain axis has also been speculated, and multimodal therapies are necessary. Unfortunately, currently, no treatment has been reported durable for IC/BPS. Patients with IC/BPS usually experience anxiety, depression, holistic physical responses, and even threats to social support systems. The lack of durable treatment outcomes might result from inadequate diagnostic accuracy and differentiation of clinical phenotypes based on the underlying pathophysiology. Precision assessment and treatment are essential for optimal therapy under definite IC/BPS phenotype. This article reviewed currently available literature and proposed a diagnosis and treatment algorithm. Based on bladder therapy combined with suitable physical and psychological therapies, a well-grounded multimodal therapy and treatment algorithm for IC/BPS following a diagnostic protocol are indispensable.

Effect of a Multimodal Supervised Therapeutic Exercise Program on Quality of Life, Pain, and Lumbopelvic Impairments in Women With Endometriosis Unresponsive to Conventional Therapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness of "Physio-EndEA", a multimodal nine-week supervised exercise intervention, on quality of life, pain, and lumbopelvic impairments in women with endometriosis unresponsive to conventional therapy.

DESIGN

Parallel-group randomized controlled trial. Outcomes were measured at baseline, post-intervention, and at 1 year.

SETTING

Two Public University Hospitals.

PARTICIPANTS

This trial included 31 women with endometriosis (N=31) randomly allocated to "Physio-EndEA" group (n=16) or control group (n=15). Four participants dropped out of the study for causes unrelated to the intervention.

INTERVENTIONS

The "Physio-EndEA" program consisted of a 1-week lumbopelvic stabilization learning phase followed by an 8-week phase of stretching, aerobic, and resistance exercises focused on the lumbopelvic area. It was sequentially instructed and supervised by a trained physiotherapist (with volume and intensity progression) and adapted daily to the potential of each participant. Control group received the usual treatment stipulated by their gynecologist.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcome was quality of life. Secondary outcomes were pain intensity, pressure pain thresholds, pain-related catastrophic thoughts, abdominal and back strength, lumbopelvic stability, and muscle architecture.

RESULTS

Adherence rate was 90.6% and mean (±standard deviation) satisfaction was 9.44±0.73 out of 10. No remarkable health problems were reported during the trial. In comparison with controls, the quality of life was improved post-intervention and at 1 year in the Physio-EndEA group with large effect sizes (d>0.80). This group also evidenced: a reduced intensity of dyspareunia, catastrophic thoughts; an increase in pelvic, lumbar, and distal pressure pain thresholds; increases in abdominal and back strength and lumbopelvic stability; and increased thickness of transversus abdominis (right side) and width of lumbar multifidus (left side).

CONCLUSION

A 9-week program of multimodal supervised therapeutic exercise is a feasible and effective intervention to improve QoL in women with endometriosis. This program also offers benefits in terms of pain/sensitization and lumbopelvic impairments.

Comprehensive quantitative sensory testing shows altered sensory function in women with chronic pelvic pain: results from the Translational Research in Pelvic Pain (TRiPP) Study

ABSTRACT

Chronic pelvic pain (CPP), despite its high prevalence, is still relatively poorly understood mechanistically. This study, as part of the Translational Research in Pelvic Pain (TRiPP) project, has used a full quantitative sensory testing (QST) paradigm to profile n = 85 women with and without CPP (endometriosis or bladder pain specifically). We used the foot as a control site and abdomen as the test site. Across 5 diagnostically determined subgroups, we found features which are common across different aetiologies, eg, gain of function in pressure pain threshold (PPT) when assessing responses from the lower abdomen or pelvis (referred pain site). However, disease-specific phenotypes were also identified, eg, greater mechanical allodynia in endometriosis, despite there being large heterogeneities within diagnostic groups. The most common QST sensory phenotype was mechanical hyperalgesia (>50% across all the groups). A "healthy' sensory phenotype was seen in <7% of CPP participants. Specific QST measures correlated with sensory symptoms assessed by the painDETECT questionnaire (pressure-evoked pain [painDETECT] and PPT [QST] [ r = 0.47, P < 0.001]; mechanical hyperalgesia (painDETECT) and mechanical pain sensitivity [MPS from QST] [ r = 0.38, P = 0.009]). The data suggest that participants with CPP are sensitive to both deep tissue and cutaneous inputs, suggesting that central mechanisms may be important in this cohort. We also see phenotypes such as thermal hyperalgesia, which may be the result of peripheral mechanisms, such as irritable nociceptors. This highlights the importance of stratifying patients into clinically meaningful phenotypes, which may have implications for the development of better therapeutic strategies for CPP.

Altered GABAA receptor function in women with endometriosis: a possible pain-related mechanism

INTRODUCTION

The mechanism underlying endometriosis-related pain remains poorly understood. Previous studies have indicated that γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) type A (GABAA ) receptors and GABAergic substances (eg endogenous neurosteroids) play important mechanistic roles in various pain conditions. Our primary objective was to compare GABAA receptor function between women with endometriosis and healthy controls by performing a challenge test with diazepam, a GABAA receptor agonist, using the saccadic eye velocity as the main outcome. The secondary objective was to investigate the relation between GABAA receptor function and serum levels of allopregnanolone, an endogenous positive modulator of the GABAA receptor, in the participating women.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

15 women with pelvic pain and laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis and 10 healthy, symptom-free, control women, aged 18-40 years, underwent the diazepam challenge test during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Basal serum allopregnanolone levels were measured prior to diazepam injection.

RESULTS

Compared with healthy controls, women with pelvic pain and confirmed endometriosis had a significantly smaller change in saccadic eye velocity after GABAA receptor stimulation with diazepam, indicating lower sensitivity to diazepam. The saccadic eye velocity response was not correlated with the serum allopregnanolone levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Women with painful endometriosis show altered GABAA receptor function, depicted as a muted response to an exogenous GABAA receptor agonist.

The temporal effect of emotional distress on psychological and physical functioning in endometriosis: A 12-month prospective study

Psychological factors of emotional distress and cognition have an important role in the understanding and management of endometriosis; however, their temporal relationship with key pain variables is not fully understood. This exploratory study sought to establish the temporal relationship between psychological and pain-related factors in a 12-month prospective study of 208 Australian women with endometriosis. Participants, aged 18-50 years and living in Australia, were recruited via social media and completed baseline (May 2019) and 12-month follow-up (June 2020) surveys. Participants who reported a diagnosis of endometriosis and menses in the past 12 months were included in the study. Structural equation modelling was used to determine the temporal effects of psychological and pain-related factors in endometriosis. In a covariate-adjusted model, baseline emotional distress was the only variable to predict pain catastrophizing (β = .24, p < .01), functional pain disability (β = .16, p < .05) and concomitant emotional distress (β = .55, p < .001) 12 months later, adjusting for age and chronic illness. Women who exhibit symptoms of distress may be at risk of poorer psychological and physical function at 12 months. Further research is required to understand the impact of psychological management early in the disease course.

Dismissal informs the priorities of endometriosis patients in New Zealand

Introduction

Endometriosis is a common condition with average delays to diagnosis in New Zealand of almost 9 years.

Methods

In total, 50 endometriosis patients participated in anonymous, asynchronous, online group discussions about their priorities, and their experiences with the development of symptoms, seeking a diagnosis, and receiving appropriate treatment.

Results

Higher subsidy of care was the top change endometriosis patients wanted, followed by more research funding. When asked to choose whether research should be focused on improving diagnosis or improving treatment methods, the results were evenly split. Within this cohort, patients highlighted that they did not know the difference between normal menstrual discomfort and pathological endometriotic pain. If, upon seeking help, medical practitioners classified their symptoms as "normal," these dismissals could instill doubt in patients, which made it more difficult for them to continue to seek a diagnosis and effective treatments. Patients who did not express dismissal had a significantly shorter delay from symptom onset to diagnosis of 4.6 ± 3.4 years vs. 9.0 ± 5.2 years.

Conclusion

Doubt is a frequent experience for endometriosis patients in New Zealand, which was reinforced by some medical practitioners who were dismissive of their pain and thus prolonged the patient's delay to diagnosis.

Trends in pelvic pain symptoms over 2 years of follow-up among adolescents and young adults with and without endometriosis

ABSTRACT

We described trends in pelvic pain characteristics over 2 years of follow-up among adolescents and adults with and without endometriosis participating in the longitudinal observational cohort of the Women's Health Study: From Adolescence to Adulthood, using data reported at baseline and at years 1 and 2 of follow-up. Participants completed a questionnaire at baseline (between November 2012 and May 2019) and annually thereafter that included validated measures of severity, frequency, and life interference of dysmenorrhea, acyclic pelvic pain, and dyspareunia. Our study population included 620 participants with surgically confirmed endometriosis (rASRM stage I/II = 95%) and 671 community-based and hospital-based controls, with median age = 19 and 24 years, respectively. The proportion reporting hormone use varied across the 3 years ranging from 88% to 92% for cases and 56% to 58% for controls. At baseline, endometriosis cases were more likely to report severe, frequent, and life-interfering dysmenorrhea, acyclic pelvic pain, and dyspareunia compared with controls. Among cases, frequency and severity of dysmenorrhea and dyspareunia were relatively static across 2 years. However, acyclic pelvic pain improved. Severe acyclic pain decreased from 69% at baseline to 46% at year 2. Daily pain decreased from 28% to 14%, and life interference from 68% to 38%. Trends among controls remained fairly stable across 2 years. Among endometriosis cases who completed the questionnaire at all 3 time points, 18% reported persistent, severe acyclic pelvic pain at all 3 time points. Over time, different trends were observed by pelvic pain type among endometriosis cases and controls, supporting the importance of assessing multidimensional features of pelvic pain.

Gastroenterologist Primer: Endometriosis for Gastroenterologists

BACKGROUND AND AIM

A comprehensive understanding of endometriosis and its common gastrointestinal presentations are critical for gastroenterologists to ensure appropriate and timely screening and diagnosis. Endometriosis is a common inflammatory disease that frequently presents with gastrointestinal symptoms overlapping with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other gastrointestinal disorders. Many endometriosis patients first present to a gastroenterologist or generalist, which may prolong the time to diagnosis and appropriate care.

METHOD AND RESULTS

This review describes the current literature on endometriosis presentation, overlap with gastrointestinal conditions, and standard diagnostic and treatment options for gastroenterologists to consider. For appropriate and swift treatment, gastroenterologists must consider an endometriosis diagnosis in females of menstruating age presenting with pain, bloating, altered stools, and non-gastrointestinal symptoms and refer patients for further evaluation.

Emotional dysregulation in women with endometriosis with cyclical and non-cyclical chronic pelvic pain

BACKGROUND

Endometriosis is a pathophysiological condition characterized by glands and stroma outside the uterus in regions such as the bladder, ureter, fallopian tubes, peritoneum, ovaries, and even in extra pelvic sites. One of the main clinical problems of endometriosis is chronic pelvic pain (CPP), which considerably affects the patients' quality of life. Patients with endometriosis may, cyclically or non-cyclically (80% of cases) experience CPP. High levels of anxiety and depression have been described in patients with endometriosis related to CPP; however, this has not been evaluated in endometriosis women with different types of CPP. Therefore, the research question of this study was whether there is a difference in the emotional dysregulation due to the type of pain experienced by women with endometriosis?

METHODS

This work was performed in the National Institute of Perinatology (INPer) in Mexico City from January 2019 to March 2020 and aimed to determine if there are differences in emotional dysregulation in patients with cyclical and non-cyclical CPP. 49 women from 18 to 52 years-old diagnosed with endometriosis presenting cyclical and non-cyclical CPP answered several batteries made up of Mini-Mental State Examination, Visual Analog Scale, Beck's Depression Inventory, State Trait-Anxiety Inventory, and Generalized Anxiety Inventory. Mann-Whitney U and Student's t-test for independent samples to compare the difference between groups was used. Relative risk estimation was performed to determine the association between non-cyclical and cyclical CPP with probability of presenting emotional dysregulation.

RESULTS

We observed that patients with non-cyclical CPP exhibited higher levels of depression and anxiety (trait-state and generalized anxiety) than patients with cyclical pain, p < 0.05 was considered significant. No differences were observed in pain intensity, but there was a higher probability of developing emotional dysregulation (anxiety or depression) in patients with non-cyclical CPP. No differences were observed in cognitive impairment.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that patients with non-cyclical (persistent) CPP present a higher emotional dysregulation than those with cyclical pain.

Is laparoscopic excision for superficial peritoneal endometriosis helpful or harmful? Protocol for a double-blinded, randomised, placebo-controlled, three-armed surgical trial

INTRODUCTION

Placebo-controlled surgical designs are recommended to ascertain treatment effects for elective surgeries when there is genuine doubt about the effectiveness of the surgery. Some elective surgeries for pain have been unable to show an effect beyond sham surgery, suggesting contributions from contextual factors. However, the nature of contextual factors in elective surgery is largely unexplored. Further, methodological difficulties in placebo-controlled surgical trials impact the ability to estimate the effectiveness of a surgical procedure. These include an overall lack of testing the success of blinding, absence of comparison to a no-surgery control group and dearth of test for neuropathic pain.For women with peritoneal endometriosis, there is uncertainty regarding the pain-relieving effect of surgery. Surgery may put patients at risk of complications such as postsurgical neuropathic pain, without guarantees of sufficient pelvic pain relief. The planned placebo-controlled trial aims to examine the effect of surgery on pelvic pain, widespread pain and neuropathic pain symptoms in women with peritoneal endometriosis, and to test the contribution of contextual factors to pain relief.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

One hundred women with peritoneal endometriosis will be randomised to either diagnostic laparoscopy with excision of endometrial tissue (active surgery), purely diagnostic laparoscopy (sham surgery) or delayed surgery (no-surgery control group). Outcomes include pelvic pain relief, widespread pain, neuropathic pain symptoms and quality of life. Contextual factors are also assessed. Assessments will be obtained at baseline and 1, 3 and 6 months postrandomisation. Mixed linear models will be used to compare groups over time on all outcome variables.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The trial is approved by the Regional Ethics Committee in the Central Denmark Region (1-10-72-152-20). The trial is funded by a PhD scholarship from Aarhus University, and supported by a grant from 'Helsefonden' (20-B-0448). Findings will be published in international peer-reviewed journals and disseminated at international conferences.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT05162794.

Association between pelvic pain bothersomeness and pain sensitivity: A community-based cross-sectional study of young adult females in the Raine Study

OBJECTIVE

Pelvic pain has been associated with augmented nociceptive processing, but large studies controlling for multiple potential confounding factors are lacking. This study investigated the association between pelvic pain bothersomeness and pain sensitivity in young adult women, accounting for potential confounding factors.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Community-dwelling sample.

POPULATION

The Raine Study Gen2-22 year follow-up (n = 475).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The experience of bothersomeness related to pelvic pain was determined from a question in the Urogenital Distress Inventory short form. Pain sensitivity was measured using pressure pain and cold pain thresholds. Potential confounding factors included ethnicity, marital status, highest level of education, income, waist-hip ratio, level of activity, sleep quality, smoking, comorbidity history, C-reactive protein level, musculoskeletal pain experience and psychological distress.

RESULTS

Three hundred and sixty-two women (76.2%) reported no pelvic pain bothersomeness, 74 (15.6%) reported mild pelvic pain bothersomeness and 39 (8.2%) reported moderate-severe pelvic pain bothersomeness. After adjusting for marital status (and test site), moderate-severe pelvic pain bothersomeness was associated with a lower pressure pain threshold (i.e. greater pressure pain sensitivity) (coefficient -51.46, 95% CI -98.06 to -4.86, p = 0.030). After adjusting for smoking, moderate-severe pelvic pain bothersomeness was also associated with a higher cold pain threshold (i.e. greater cold pain sensitivity) (coefficient 4.35, 95% CI 0.90-7.79, p = 0.014).

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests augmented nociceptive processing as a contributing factor in pelvic pain bothersomeness for some women. Thorough assessment of women who present clinically with pelvic pain should consider pain sensitivity as a potential contributing factor to their presentation.

The experiences of endometriosis patients with diagnosis and treatment in New Zealand

Endometriosis is a chronically painful, invasive, inflammatory disease, with limited treatment options and long delays to diagnosis, which impacts 10% of females in New Zealand.

Introduction

As part of a larger group discussion study, this paper covers three themes associated with endometriosis patient experiences: intensity of pain, diagnostic tool shortcomings and perspectives of treatment options.

Materials and methods

The goal of this research was the inclusion of patient voices to guide research priorities. In early 2022, 50 New Zealand endometriosis patients participated in anonymous, asynchronous, text-based group discussions on the VisionsLive platform. The patients ranged in age from 18-48. The patients answered 50 questions, 23 text-based and 27 quantitative, and then took part in online group discussions.

Results and discussion

The average age of symptom onset was 15.3 years, while the average delay from symptom onset to a working or surgically confirmed diagnosis was 7.91 years. The top five reported symptoms within the cohort were pain-based, and the participants discussed the many impacts of this pain on their work and education. The four main diagnostic tools employed on this cohort were abdominal ultrasound (72%), transvaginal ultrasound (68%), laparoscopy (82%) and sharing their symptom history with a medical practitioner (88%). The most common emotions patients experienced following receiving a diagnosis of endometriosis were relief (86%), feeling overwhelmed (54%), and anger (32%). The main treatments offered to this cohort were pain relief (96%), laparoscopic surgery (84%) and the combined oral contraceptive pill (80%). Of these three treatments, only laparoscopic surgery was viewed positively by the majority of users, with 67% considering laparoscopy an effective treatment, compared to 46% of users for pain relief, and 25% of users for the combined oral contraceptive pill.

Conclusions

Gathering the voice of patients revealed that long delays to diagnosis and dismissal by medical practitioners frequently manifests as a reaction of relief by patients once diagnosed. Results also showed treatment options such as pain relief and hormonal medications were often considered ineffective, but were routinely offered as the first, or only, options for patients. It is therefore important that both quicker routes to diagnosis and more effective treatment options be developed.

Endometriosis Is Undervalued: A Call to Action

Endometriosis is an inflammatory chronic pain condition caused by uterine tissue growing outside of the uterus that afflicts at least 11% of women (and people assigned female at birth) worldwide. This condition results in a substantial burden to these women, and society at large. Although endometriosis was first identified over 160 years ago, substantial knowledge gaps remain, including confirmation of the disease's etiology. Research funding for endometriosis is limited, with funding from bodies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) constituting only 0.038% of the 2022 health budget—for a condition that affects 6.5 million women in the US alone and over 190 million worldwide. A major issue is that diagnosis of endometriosis is frequently delayed because surgery is required to histologically confirm the diagnosis. This delay increases symptom intensity, the risk of central and peripheral sensitization and the costs of the disease for the patient and their nation. Current conservative treatments of presumed endometriosis are pain management and birth control. Both of these methods are flawed and can be entirely ineffective for the reduction of patient suffering or improving ability to work, and neither addresses the severe infertility issues or higher risk of certain cancers. Endometriosis research deserves the funding and attention that befits a disease with its substantial prevalence, effects, and economic costs. This funding could improve patient outcomes by introducing less invasive and more timely methods for diagnosis and treatment, including options such as novel biomarkers, nanomedicine, and microbiome alterations.

Scientific Knowledge Graph and Trend Analysis of Central Sensitization: A Bibliometric Analysis

BACKGROUND

Central sensitization refers to a state of hypersensitivity in the central nervous system and is associated with the development and maintenance of chronic pain. Central sensitization plays an essential role in various diseases. Nevertheless, there has been no bibliometric analysis before in this field. The purpose of this study was to provide critical themes and trends in the area of central sensitization, to build a network of knowledge, and to facilitate the future development of relevant basic and clinical research.

METHODS

Publications on central sensitization were extracted from the Science Citation Index-Expanded. We used R software to systematically analyze the countries, institutions, authors, journals, references, and keywords of the publications. Besides, conceptual structure, intellectual structure, and social structure were constructed.

RESULTS

A total of 4466 publications were included. Research in the field of central sensitization generally showed a steady upward trend. The three structural networks showed that the United States is the leading country in this field. Arendt-Nielsen L and Woolf CJ were the most productive and influential authors, respectively. "Pain" was the journal with the most studies. Most journals that published and cited articles about central sensitization were academically influential. Cluster analysis revealed that research in central sensitization contains three main conceptual clusters, and the themes of research evolve frequently. Current research focuses on the pathogenesis of central sensitization in neuropathic pain, the role of central sensitization in different diseases, and related clinical double-blind trials.

CONCLUSION

Central sensitization received widespread attention. The United States led the way in academic activity. In this field, the current situation of cooperation and communication between different countries and institutions is positive. The present research hotspots were the pathogenesis of central sensitization in neuropathic pain, the role of central sensitization in different diseases, and related clinical double-blind trials.

Pain pressure thresholds in children and adolescents with idiopathic chest pain

OBJECTIVES

The pathophysiology of idiopathic chest pain remains unclear. Studies evaluating pain pressure thresholds in other idiopathic pain syndromes have revealed pain sensitivity in both affected and unaffected areas. The present study aimed to evaluate thoracic and extrathoracic pain pressure thresholds and their correlation with patients' pain characteristics and quality of life.

METHODS

This cross-sectional, single-blind, controlled study included children and adolescents with idiopathic chest pain. The patients' pain characteristics, including their symptom duration, type of pain, mean pain intensity, mean duration of painful periods, pain frequency, and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Child Version scores, were assessed by a paediatric cardiologist via a face-to-face interview. Pain pressure thresholds were measured using an algometer by an algologist who was blinded to the study groups.

RESULTS

There was a statistically significant difference in pain pressure thresholds in the trapezius; supraspinatus; thoracic 2, 4, and 10 areas; deltoid; and tibia between the patient and healthy control groups. In the patient group, while there was a positive correlation between the mean all-region pain pressure thresholds and age (p = 0.047, r = 0.235), there was no correlation between pain pressure thresholds and symptom duration, pain intensity, and quality of life.

CONCLUSION

The present study is the first step towards investigating probable pain sensitivity mechanisms in children and adolescents with idiopathic chest pain. We noted lower thoracic and extrathoracic pain pressure thresholds in children and adolescents with idiopathic chest pain than in healthy controls.

Central sensitization inventory in endometriosis

ABSTRACT

A key clinical problem is identifying the patient with endometriosis whose pain is complicated by central nervous system sensitization, where conventional gynecologic treatment (eg, hormonal therapy or surgery) may not completely alleviate the pain. The Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI) is a questionnaire previously validated in the chronic pain population. The objective of this study was an exploratory proof-of-concept to identify a CSI cutoff in the endometriosis population to discriminate between individuals with significant central contributors (identified by central sensitivity syndromes [CSS]) to their pain compared to those without. We analyzed a prospective data registry at a tertiary referral center for endometriosis, and included subjects aged 18 to 50 years with endometriosis who were newly or re-referred to the center in 2018. The study sample consisted of 335 subjects with a mean age of 36.0 ± 7.0 years. An increasing number of CSS was significantly correlated with dysmenorrhea, deep dyspareunia, dyschezia, and chronic pelvic pain scores (P < 0.001), and with the CSI score (0-100) (r = 0.731, P < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic analysis indicated that a CSI cutoff of 40 had a sensitivity of 78% (95% CI: 72.7%-84.6%) and a specificity of 80% (95% CI: 70.3%-84.5%) for identifying a patient with endometriosis with ≥3 CSS. In the group with CSI ≥ 40, 18% retrospectively self-reported pain nonresponsive to hormonal therapy and 40% self-reported daily pain, compared with 6% and 20% in the CSI < 40 group (P = 0.003 and 0.002, respectively). In conclusion, a CSI ≥ 40 may be a practical tool to help identify patients with endometriosis with pain contributors related to central nervous system sensitization.

Laparoscopically guided transversus abdominis plane block versus local wound analgesia in laparoscopic surgery for peritoneal endometriosis: study protocol for a prospective randomized controlled double-blinded LTAP-trial

Background

Ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane block (TAP) performed by anesthesiologist has been shown to be an effective and safe analgesia method in abdominal surgery, reducing postoperative opioid consumption. Recently, there has been growing interest to insert TAP under laparoscopic vision (LTAP) by surgeon. LTAP has been used in laparoscopic gastrointestinal surgery, but studies on LTAP in gynecologic laparoscopic surgery are sparse and inconsistent. The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of LTAP and local wound analgesia in laparoscopic surgery due to suspected or diagnosed superficial peritoneal endometriosis.

Methods

The LTAP-trial is a prospective randomized controlled double-blinded study comparing the efficacy and safety of LTAP with local wound analgesia in laparoscopic endometriosis surgery. Patients are randomized to receive LTAP with levobupivacaine and wound infiltration with placebo or wound infiltration with levobupivacaine and LTAP with placebo. The primary outcome is postoperative opioid consumption measured by patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump. Secondly, subjective postoperative pain up to 24 h postoperatively will be measured by Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). Additional outcome measures are factors related to recovery and length of stay in the hospital as well as a 6-month follow-up survey regarding pain (NRS) and endometriosis-related wellbeing (endometriosis-related health profile, EHP-30) after surgery. A total of 46 patients will be randomized in a proportion of 1:1.

Discussion

Patients with peritoneal endometriosis are often prone to severe postoperative pain that may prohibit their enhanced recovery after laparoscopy. Thus, there is a need for effective postoperative pain management with minimal side-effects. This study focusing on laparoscopically inserted transversus abdominis plane block may provide new insight in dealing with postoperative pain after laparoscopic endometriosis surgery as well as after other gynecologic surgery.

Trial registration

The LTAP-trial -protocol has been prospectively registered to ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT04735770. Registered on February 2021.

Effectiveness of intracavitary monopolar dielectric radiofrequency in women with endometriosis-associated pain: A case series

BACKGROUND

and Purpose: Endometriosis-associated pain is the main cause of chronic pelvic pain in women. Endometriosis has a significant negative impact across different domains of patients' quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of an intracavitary application of monopolar dielectric radiofrequency in women with endometriosis-associated pain.

PATIENT PRESENTATION

Five women with endometriosis received 25 sessions of an intracavitary application of monopolar dielectric radiofrequency within three months. Outcomes, including quality of life, sex interference (Endometriosis Health Profile [EHP]-30 + section C), myofascial pain syndrome (myofascial trigger points), pain intensity (Visual Analogue Scale), frequency and referral pattern, pressure pain thresholds, allodynia and neuropathic pain (modified DN4), were examined both during and outside menses, after intervention and six months later.

RESULTS

Clinically meaningful improvements were achieved by most participants regarding pelvic pain intensity, abdominal sensitivity, and myofascial pain of the pelvic floor.

CONCLUSION

This study lays the foundation for future in-depth research, suggesting that monopolar dielectric radiofrequency could be helpful in improving the symptomatology and quality of life of women with endometriosis, also in patients who are unresponsive to medical and/or surgical treatments, or who cannot undergo them in the short term.

Functional and structural neuroplastic changes related to sensitization proxies in patients with Osteoarthritis: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

Several reports in literature have identified sensitization as a possible basis for the enhanced pain reactions associated with Osteoarthritis (OA). The aim of this current systematic review is to summarize functional and structural brain changes associated with surrogate sensitization parameters assessed in patients with OA-related pain.

DESIGN

Systematic review.

SUBJECTS

Patients with OA related pain.

METHODS

A literature search was conducted systematically in MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE databases for human studies up to December 2019. Articles were included if they assessed brain imaging and senzitisation parameters (quantitative sensory testing and questionnaires) in adults with OA related pain. Methodological quality was assessed using the Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies (MINORS) score.

RESULTS

Five studies reporting on 138 patients were included in this review. The MINORS scale yielded mean scores of 8.5/16 and 12.3/24, for the cohort and case-control studies respectively. Four low-quality studies suggest a greater pain matrix activation associated with clinical measures of sensitization in patients with OA, while another study underlined the presence of structural changes (reduced gray matter volume) in the cortical areas involved in the nociceptive processing possible also related to sensitization.

CONCLUSION

This review shows conflicting evidence for structural and functional neuroplastic brain changes related to sensitization proxies in patients with OA.

Peripheral, Central, and Cross Sensitization in Endometriosis-Associated Pain and Comorbid Pain Syndromes

Endometriosis-associated pain and the mechanisms responsible for its initiation and persistence are complex and difficult to treat. Endometriosis-associated pain is experienced as dysmenorrhea, cyclical pain related to organ function including dysuria, dyschezia and dyspareunia, and persistent pelvic pain. Pain symptomatology correlates poorly with the extent of macroscopic disease. In addition to the local effects of disease, endometriosis-associated pain develops as a product of peripheral sensitization, central sensitization and cross sensitization. Endometriosis-associated pain is further contributed to by comorbid pain conditions, such as bladder pain syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, abdomino-pelvic myalgia and vulvodynia. This article will review endometriosis-associated pain, its mechanisms, and its comorbid pain syndromes with a view to aiding the clinician in navigating the literature and terminology of pain and pain syndromes. Limitations of our current understanding of endometriosis-associated pain will be acknowledged. Where possible, commonalities in pain mechanisms between endometriosis-associated pain and comorbid pain syndromes will be highlighted.

Thermal Pain Thresholds Are Significantly Associated with Plasma Proteins of the Immune System in Chronic Widespread Pain-An Exploratory Pilot Study Using Multivariate and Network Analyses

Chronic widespread pain (CWP), including fibromyalgia (FM), is characterized by generalized musculoskeletal pain. An important clinical feature is widespread increased pain sensitivity such as lowered pain thresholds for different stimuli such as heat (HPT) and cold (CPT). There is a growing interest in investigating the activated neurobiological mechanisms in CWP. This explorative proteomic study investigates the multivariate correlation pattern between plasma and muscle proteins and thermal pain thresholds in CWP and in healthy controls (CON). In addition, we analysed whether the important proteins and their networks for CPT and HPT differed between CWP and CON. We used a proteomic approach and analysed plasma and muscle proteins from women with CWP (n = 15) and CON (n = 23). The associations between the proteins and CPT/HPT were analysed using orthogonal partial least square (OPLS). The protein-protein association networks for the important proteins for the two thermal pain thresholds were analysed using STRING database. CWP had lowered pain thresholds for thermal stimulus. These levels were generally not related to the included clinical variables except in CWP for HPT. Highly interacting proteins mainly from plasma showed strong significant associations with CPT and HPT both in CWP and in CON. Marked differences in the important proteins for the two thermal pain thresholds were noted between CWP and CON; more complex patterns emerged in CWP. The important proteins were part of the immune system (acute phase proteins, complement factors, and immunoglobulin factors) or known to interact with the immune system. As expected, CWP had lowered pain thresholds for thermal stimulus. Although different proteins were important in the two groups, there were similarities. For example, proteins related to the host defence/immunity such as acute phase proteins, complement factors, immunoglobulin factors, and cytokines/chemokines (although not in CON for CPT) were important habitual/tonic factors for thermal pain thresholds. The fact that peripheral proteins contribute to thermal pain thresholds does not exclude that central factors also contribute and that complex interactions between peripheral and central factors determine the registered pain thresholds in CWP.

Pain catastrophizing is associated with pain thresholds for heat, cold and pressure in women with chronic pelvic pain

Background and aims Psychological traits such as pain catastrophizing may play a role in the development of chronic pelvic pain (CPP). Pain catastrophizing is the tendency to amplify negative cognitive and emotional pain processes. The Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) assesses elements of pain catastrophizing divided into three subgroups of factors (rumination, helplessness and magnification). Previous studies have shown associations between CPP and increased pain sensitivity, widespread generalized hyperalgesia, and decreased pain thresholds, but the relation between pain catastrophizing and specific pain thresholds has not yet been widely examined in this patient group. The aims of this study were (a) to determine if catastrophizing is increased in women with CPP compared with pain-free women, (b) to assess the importance of pain catastrophizing, psychological distress variables, and subjective pain sensitivity for pain thresholds of heat, cold and pressure in these two groups, and (c) to determine whether psychological variables or pain thresholds best contribute to the differentiation between CPP and controls. Methods Thirty-seven women with chronic pelvic pain who underwent diagnostic laparoscopy on the suspicion of endometriosis participated along with 55 healthy and pain-free controls. All underwent quantitative sensory testing on six locations on the body to determine heat (HPT), cold (CPT) and pressure (PPT) pain thresholds. The PCS, the Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire (PSQ), the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale, (HADS) demographics and clinical data were collected prospectively. Principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least square regressions were used to assess the associations between PCS scores and pain thresholds. Results The women with CPP scored significantly higher on PCS than the healthy controls. PCS-helplessness, PCS-rumination and HADS-depression were significantly associated with pain thresholds for the whole group. In the CPP group, PCS-rumination, body mass index and PSQ were significant regressors for HPT and CPT. The PCS and the HADS subscales were strongly intercorrelated in women with CPP and were stronger regressors of group membership than the three pain thresholds. In the group of healthy control women, no relationships were found to be significant. The psychological variables were somewhat stronger significant regressors than pain thresholds (also significant) for group membership. Conclusions Women with CPP have significantly higher pain catastrophizing scores than women without CPP. The pain catastrophizing rumination factor is significantly associated with pain thresholds of heat and cold in CPP women. PCS and HADS are strongly intercorrelated and PSQ correlates positively with these variables. It seems that the psychological variables are important for group differentiation. Implications The results clearly indicate the need for a multimodal assessment (bio-psycho-social) of CPP patients including psychological symptoms such as catastrophizing, anxiety and depression. The registration of semi-objective pain thresholds captures both specific pain sensitivity information (mechanical pressure, cold or heat) and the degree of wide spread pain hypersensitivity. There is a need for future larger studies investigating whether certain profiles in the clinical presentations (including pain thresholds and psychological variables) are associated with outcomes after different types of interventions.

Does Endometriosis Disturb Mental Health and Quality of Life? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to evaluate whether endometriosis could disturb the mental health and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients and to provide a new prospective for further treatment of endometriosis.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature review was conducted among 4 international databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library) and 2 of the largest Chinese databases (the China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wangfang). The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess the quality of the included articles. Six effect sizes were synthesized through a meta-analysis, and a subgroup analysis was performed to identify potential moderating factors, including types of control groups, methods of assessment, number of study groups, and origin of the study. Potential publication bias was examined using a funnel plot.

RESULTS

This meta-analysis pooled 44 articles from 4 continents and 13 countries and compared 6 types of main effect sizes (the odds ratio [OR] for depression, the OR for anxiety, the standardized mean difference [SMD] for depression, the SMD for anxiety, the SMD for the physical component summary [PCS] and the SMD for the mental component summary [MCS]) between endometriosis patients and controls. Except for the SMD for depression, all other effect sizes revealed statistically significant differences between the study group and the controls. The main effect size outcomes of the subgroup analysis were also similar. The type of control group (I2 = 35% in non-endometriosis control groups for the SMD of anxiety; I2 = 47% in non-endometriosis control groups for the MCS of the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey) and the continent of origin (I2 = 0% in studies from South America for the OR of depression; I2 = 47% in studies from Europe for the SMD of anxiety) may influence heterogeneity in this analysis. Additionally, depression and anxiety symptoms in patients seemed to be more apparent compared with healthy controls when the sample was smaller and when a questionnaire was used. The publication bias of the articles was acceptable.

CONCLUSION

Endometriosis can disturb mental health (specifically depression and anxiety) and decrease both the mental and physical HRQoL of patients. There may be some moderating factors that we were unable to identify in the subgroup analysis, but more research is necessary to develop proper management and improve the prognosis of endometriosis patients.

Contextualizing ovarian pain in the late 19th century-Part 1: Women with "hysteria" and "hystero-epilepsy"

"Hysteria" and "hystero-epilepsy" were common medical diagnoses among physicians during the nineteenth century. In Paris, L'Hôpital de la Salpêtrière-originally a hospice for the poor and a prison for prostitutes and other female inmates-became a center of great interest for the possible role of neurological diseases in these conditions. At the same time in the Americas and Europe, gynecologists were removing women's ovaries in cases with the same clinical conditions, which emphasized the role of the ovaries in contemporary hysteria studies in France, Great Britain, and the United States. The objective of this article is to explore nineteenth-century conceptualizations of ovarian pain as an organ-pathological substrate for a portion of these diagnoses. The theoretical role of the pelvic organs in these diagnoses has waxed and waned over the centuries, but there have not been many detailed explorations of the associated clinical phenomena. Suggesting an organic basis (le substratum organique) for the diagnoses remains a precarious notion, given the universally repudiated role of the uterus and decreasing interest in the ovary. In contemporary literature, the potential role of the ovary has not been addressed from a detailed medical perspective, however.

Depression, Anxiety, and Correlating Factors in Endometriosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Endometriosis stage is not directly related to the burden of symptoms, and recurrence of symptoms occurs frequently. It is suggested that symptoms are associated with psychological distress, as in depression and anxiety disorders. Our aim was to explore the strength of the associations between endometriosis and depression or anxiety and to review correlating factors. Materials and Methods: A literature search was carried out using the electronic databases Embase, PubMed, Web-of-science, and PsycINFO. Search terms related to depression, anxiety, and endometriosis were combined resulting in 1,837 records. Articles were included when describing an association between patients with endometriosis and symptoms of depression or anxiety assessed by validated tools, structured psychiatric interviews, or a documented diagnosis. With 47 articles a systematic qualitative review was performed. Seventeen studies were eligible for meta-analysis. Results: Endometriosis patients experienced significantly more symptoms of depression (standardized mean difference [SMD] of 0.71 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.36-1.06)) and anxiety (SMD 0.60 (95% CI 0.35-0.84)) compared with healthy controls, but no differences were found comparing endometriosis patients with other chronic pelvic pain patients (SMD -0.01 [95% CI -0.17 to 0.15] for depression and SMD -0.02 [95% CI -0.22 to 0.18] for anxiety). Besides the effect of pain, other correlating factors included age, quality of life, quality of sleep, fatigue, sexual function, gastrointestinal symptoms, comorbidity, self-esteem, emotional self-efficacy, coping style, social adjustment, pain imagery, and pain sensitization. Conclusion: This systematic review supports the assumption that symptoms of depression and anxiety occur frequently in endometriosis patients and are related to chronic pain. Correlating factors should further be investigated.

Strength Exercise Has Different Effects on Pressure Pain Thresholds in Women with Endometriosis-Related Symptoms and Healthy Controls: A Quasi-experimental Study

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the influence of strength exercises on remote pain sensitivity in women with endometriosis-related symptoms.

DESIGN

A quasi-experimental study.

SETTING

University Hospital, a tertiary health unit.

SUBJECTS

Twenty-one women with endometriosis-related symptoms and 21 healthy women provided written informed consent.

METHODS

The participants performed weekly exercise sessions on an extensor chair for four consecutive weeks. An electronic algometer was used to measure the pressure pain thresholds on the nondominant forearm. Heart rate and blood pressure were measured using a digital device. All measurements were taken before, immediately after, and 10 and 20 minutes after the exercise series.

RESULTS

Women with endometriosis-related symptoms had lower pain thresholds. Pressure pain thresholds increased immediately after exercise in healthy women, returning to baseline level 20 minutes after exercise. Women with endometriosis-related symptoms did not present significant pressure pain threshold alterations after exercise. However, they had a higher heart rate and systolic, diastolic, and average blood pressure than healthy women at all the timepoints. There were no consistent correlations between pressure pain thresholds and heart rate or blood pressure.

CONCLUSIONS

The strength exercise regimen used in this study increased pain thresholds in healthy women but not in women with endometriosis-related painful symptoms. The maintenance or even worsening of pain perception after exercise in women with persistent pain, such as those with endometriosis, may limit their adherence to a physical training program, which in turn could prevent them from experiencing the long-term beneficial effects of exercise.

Widespread Pain Hypersensitivity and Lumbopelvic Impairments in Women Diagnosed with Endometriosis

OBJECTIVE

To explore hypersensitivity to pain and musculoskeletal impairments in the lumbopelvic area in women with and without endometriosis.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 66 women (41 women with endometriosis and 25 healthy women). Pain and related catastrophizing thoughts were assessed through a numeric rating scale, pressure pain thresholds (PPTs), the slump test, and the Pain Catastrophizing Scale. Lumbopelvic muscles were evaluated through ultrasound imaging, flexor/extensor resistance tests, and the lumbopelvic stability test.

RESULTS

Women with endometriosis showed increased self-reported intensity of current pelvic pain (CuPP), reduced local PPTs (42.8-64.7% in the affected area, P-value <.001) and higher prevalence of lumbar nerve root impingement/irritation pain and catastrophizing thoughts (P-value ≤.002). Moreover, affected women showed decreased thickness of transversus abdominis, reduced resistance of flexor and extensor trunk muscles and lower lumbopelvic stability (P-values <.030). Endometriosis stage and severity of CuPP were related to worse results in these parameters.

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of pain sensitization signs and lumbopelvic impairments, more pronounced in patients with stage IV endometriosis and moderate/severe CuPP, warrants the development of rehabilitation interventions targeting pain and lumbopelvic impairments in women with endometriosis.

Widespread myofascial dysfunction and sensitisation in women with endometriosis-associated chronic pelvic pain: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Chronic pelvic pain persists in some women with endometriosis even after lesion removal and optimized hormonal treatment.

OBJECTIVE

Characterize the presence and distribution of pain, myofascial dysfunction and sensitisation beyond the pelvis in women with endometriosis-associated chronic pelvic pain.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study of 30 women prior to participation in a clinical trial. Evaluation included pain-focused abdominopelvic gynaecologic examination with the identification of pelvic floor muscle spasm. Neuro-musculoskeletal examination assessed paraspinal allodynia and hyperalgesia bilaterally and myofascial trigger points in 13 paired muscles. Pressure-pain thresholds were measured over interspinous ligaments and trigger points. Women completed the body territories element of the Body Pain Index.

RESULTS

All women had a pelvic floor muscle spasm that they self-identified as a major focus of pain. Twenty of 30 women described their pelvic pain as focal. However, all demonstrated widespread myofascial dysfunction with low pressure-pain thresholds and trigger points in over two-thirds of 26 assessed regions. Widespread spinal segmental sensitisation was present in 17/30, thoracic in 21/30 and lumbosacral/pelvic in 18/30. Cervical sensitisation manifested as low pressure-pain thresholds with 23/30 also reporting recurrent, severe headaches and 21/30 experiencing orofacial pain. Those reporting diffuse pelvic pain were more likely to have widespread (p = .024) and lumbosacral/pelvic (p = .036) sensitisation and report over 10 painful body areas (p = .009).

CONCLUSIONS

Women with endometriosis-associated chronic pelvic pain often have myofascial dysfunction and sensitisation beyond the pelvic region that may be initiated or maintained by on-going pelvic floor spasm. These myofascial and nervous system manifestations warrant consideration when managing pain in this population. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01553201.

SIGNIFICANCE

Women with endometriosis often have pelvic pain persisting after surgery despite hormonal therapies and these women have regional pelvic sensitisation and myofascial dysfunction. Pelvic floor muscle spasm is a major pain focus in this population. Sensitisation and myofascial dysfunction are widespread, beyond the pelvic region. On-going pelvic floor spasm may initiate or maintain sensitisation. Myofascial/sensitisation manifestations warrant consideration when managing pain in this population.

Phenotypes of Women with and Without Endometriosis and Relationship with Functional Pain Disability

Objective

Primary dysmenorrhea and secondary dysmenorrhea due to endometriosis share overlapping symptoms and likely demonstrate aspects of central sensitization. The present study aimed to identify distinct phenotypes of women who have dysmenorrhea with and without endometriosis to shed light on the unique mechanisms contributing to the pathogenesis of each condition.

Methods

An online survey was used to investigate the relationship between ratings of menstrual pain severity, menstrual symptoms (abdominal cramps, abdominal discomfort, low back pain, headache, body aches, bloating, nausea, diarrhea, increased bowel movements), widespread pain, and functional pain disability in a community sample of 1,354 women (aged 18–50) with menstrual pain in Australia.

Results

Compared with women without endometriosis, those with endometriosis had statistically significant higher menstrual pain severity (P&lt;0.01), symptom severity and fatigue (all symptoms P&lt;0.001, although only cramps and bloating were clinically significant), widespread pain sites (P&lt;0.001), and functional pain disability (P&lt;0.001, although this difference was not clinically significant). When examining symptoms by pain severity, women with severe menstrual pain were more likely to experience symptoms than women with less severe pain, regardless of the presence of endometriosis. Similar predictors of functional pain disability emerged for women with and without endometriosis, such as body aches, nausea, fatigue, and widespread pain, respectively, suggesting the presence of central sensitization in both groups. Logistic regression revealed that after accounting for menstrual pain severity (odds ratio [OR], 1.61) and duration (OR, 1.04), symptoms of bloating (OR, 1.12), nausea (OR, 1.07), and widespread pain sites (OR, 1.06) significantly predicted the presence of endometriosis.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that phenotypes specific to endometriosis can be identified.

Effect of hysterectomy on pain in women with endometriosis: a population-based registry study

OBJECTIVE

To assess pain symptoms before and after hysterectomy in women with endometriosis.

DESIGN

A population-based registry study.

SETTING

Sweden.

POPULATION

Women aged 18-45 years who underwent hysterectomy for endometriosis between 2010 and 2015.

METHODS

Pain symptoms before hysterectomy and 12 months after surgery were collected from the Swedish National Quality Register for Gynaecological Surgery (GynOp). Pain symptoms were also assessed by follow-up surveys after a median follow-up period of 63 months.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Pelvic or lower abdominal pain after hysterectomy.

RESULTS

The study included 137 women. The proportion of women experiencing pain of any severity decreased by 28% after hysterectomy (P < 0.001). The proportion of women with severe pain symptoms decreased by 76% after hysterectomy (P < 0.001). The majority of women (84%) were satisfied with the surgical result. Presence of severe pain symptoms after the hysterectomy was associated with less satisfaction (P < 0.001). Pain symptoms after surgery, patient satisfaction and the patient's perceived improvement were not significantly different between women whose ovarian tissue was preserved and women who underwent bilateral oophorectomy.

CONCLUSIONS

We observed a significant, long-lasting reduction in pain symptoms after hysterectomy among women with endometriosis. Hysterectomy, with the possibility of ovarian preservation, may be a valuable option for women with endometriosis who suffer from severe pain symptoms.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

Hysterectomy is a valuable option for women with endometriosis and severe pain symptoms.