Vulvodynia

Managing Vulvodynia with Central Sensitization: Challenges and Strategies

Background: Vulvodynia is defined as a chronic idiopathic vulvar pain condition. This study aimed to investigate the effect of central sensitization on the prognosis of neuromodulator treatment for vulvodynia. Method: A total of 105 patients with vulvodynia who underwent pelvic mapping pain exploration were included and scored according to the Convergence PP Criteria for pelvic pain and central sensitization. The patients were treated according to chronic pelvic pain guidelines, and their response to treatment was evaluated. Results: A total of 35 out 105 patients (33%) with vulvodynia had central sensitization, which was associated with comorbidities, dyspareunia, pain with micturition, and pain with defecation. Dyspareunia and pain with defecation were independent prognostic factors for central sensitization. Patients with central sensitization experienced more pain during intercourse, urination, or defecation, had more comorbidities, and responded worse to treatment. They required more treatment, with a longer response time (over 2 months). Patients with localized vulvodynia were treated with physiotherapy and lidocaine, while patients with generalized vulvodynia were treated with neuromodulators. Amitriptyline was effective in treating patients with generalized spontaneous vulvodynia and dyspareunia. Conclusions: Overall, this study highlights the importance of considering central sensitization in the diagnosis and treatment of vulvodynia and the need for individualized treatment based on the patient's symptoms and underlying mechanisms. Vulvodynia patients with central sensitization had more pain during intercourse, urination, or defecation, and responded worse to treatment, requiring more time and medication.

Sexual pain and IC/BPS in women

Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) and female sexual dysfunction (FSD) are common conditions that substantially reduce women's health. In particular, women with IC/BPS show vulvodynia, a kind of FDS that originates from consistent pain around the vulvar area. There have been many studies attempting to find the underlying mechanisms that induce the chronic pain associated with IC/BPS and vulvodynia and explain why these two conditions often coexist. Proposed theories suggest that pain hypersensitivity is being mediated by peripheral and central sensitization. However, there are still many unknown factors, such as etiologies, that can evoke pain hypersensitivity and may be linking the casual relationship between IC/BPS and vulvodynia. At present, knowledge regarding IC/BPS and vulvodynia are insufficient when considering their clinical importance. Therefore, efforts are necessary to elucidate the issues surrounding IC/BPS and vulvodynia.

Gynecological associated disorders and management

BACKGROUND

Chronic pelvic pain syndrome is complex and involves multiple organ systems. The gynecological aspects of chronic pelvic pain syndrome can be divided into four different areas: intra-abdominal, vaginal, pelvic floor muscles and sexual pain. This article provides an overview of gynecological evaluation in patients with chronic pelvic pain and reviews the most common gynecological diagnoses and their management.

METHODS

An extensive review of the literature including guidelines from the International Continence Society, the European Association of Urology, and the International Association for the Study of Pain was performed.

RESULTS

Gynecological evaluation of patients with chronic pelvic pain begins with a thorough history and physical examination. Laboratory tests, imaging studies and diagnostic procedures can be used as adjuncts to make a diagnosis. Treatment modalities include physical therapy, medications, trigger points injections, and surgery.

CONCLUSION

Common gynecological diagnoses of chronic pelvic pain include endometriosis, adenomyosis, vulvodynia, high tone pelvic floor dysfunction, and genitopelvic pain/penetration disorder. Gynecology is one of the many systems that can be associated with chronic pelvic pain. Managing patients with chronic pelvic pain requires a multimodal and multidisciplinary approach.

Relationship between nongenital tender point tenderness and intravaginal muscle pain intensity: ratings in women with provoked vestibulodynia and implications for treatment

BACKGROUND

Vulvodynia is a chronic vulvar pain disorder and fibromyalgia is a chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain disorder, both of unknown etiology. Association of these conditions is well documented. Intravaginal algometer measurement of tenderness to pressure applied to the pelvic floor muscles helps define vulvodynia associated with musculoskeletal factors. Women with both vulvodynia and fibromyalgia might have increased pelvic muscle pain compared to women with vulvodynia alone, defining the possible link of these 2 conditions.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to: (1) correlate pain intensity during the nongenital tender point tenderness examination to pain intensity with the vaginal algometer in women with provoked vestibulodynia, and (2) determine whether subjects with provoked vestibulodynia and fibromyalgia had higher pain intensity scores with the vaginal algometer than those without fibromyalgia.

STUDY DESIGN

In all, 92 subjects referred for vulvar pain were confirmed to have provoked vestibulodynia using the cotton swab test. A diagnosis of fibromyalgia was made if pain was present (numeric rating scale >1) in at least 11 sites of the 18-point nongenital tender point tenderness exam. Vaginal pain sensitivity was measured using an intravaginal pressure algometer, where 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 kg/cm² forces were applied digitally in random assignment by force and location to the right and left iliococcygeus muscle regions and the posterior vaginal wall. Both tender point tenderness and algometer pain intensity were reported on a 0 (no pain) to 10 (worse pain) numeric rating scale. Correlations were computed between the composite pain intensity (total of rating scale from each pressure threshold at specified site) of nongenital and those of iliococcygeus regions and the posterior vaginal wall. Independent t tests were used to determine differences in iliococcygeus regions and the posterior vaginal algometer pain ratings and presence or absence of fibromyalgia. The significance level was at P < .05. The data were expressed as mean ± SD.

RESULTS

A significant correlation was found between numeric rating scale pain scores on the nongenital tender point tenderness exam and algometer testing on the iliococcygeus region (r = 0.44, P < .0001) and the posterior vaginal wall (r = 0.45, P < .0001). Subjects with fibromyalgia by tender point tenderness had significantly higher iliococcygeal pain (6.14 ± 2.07 vs 3.74 ± 2.22, P = .0001) and posterior vaginal wall pain (5.67 ± 2.10 vs 3.07 ± 2.16, P < .0001) than women without fibromyalgia by tender point tenderness.

CONCLUSION

Women with provoked vestibulodynia who experience more severe pain with nongenital tender point palpation also experience more deep vaginal pain on pelvic exam. Those who fulfill the diagnosis of fibromyalgia show significantly more intense deep vaginal pain to palpation of iliococcygeus muscles and posterior vaginal wall. Further research using a more precise definition of fibromyalgia is necessary to confirm this relationship, but findings suggest that women with provoked vestibulodynia coexisting with fibromyalgia have greater risk of superimposed vaginal muscle pain and may be candidates for early adjunctive pelvic floor physical therapy. These findings need to be explored in women with generalized, nonprovoked vulvodynia.

Management of Pain Associated with Selected Conditions in Dermatology

Dermatologists face a wide range of pain control challenges in daily practice, from the transient pain of dermatologic surgery to the persistent pain that plagues some chronic dermatologic conditions. Although the pathophysiology of pain is well described and the profound impact of dermatological pain on patients' quality of life is well appreciated, there is an identified need for clear therapeutic plans for providing symptomatic pain relief of common painful dermatoses. In this paper, we will review and clearly outline approaches to pain management of a number of common painful dermatoses such as herpes zoster and post-herpetic neuralgia, ulcers, oral dermatoses, dysesthesias, and many others.