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Lev-Sagie A, Rayan-Gharra N, Allouche-Kam H, Granot M. Does One Measure Fit All? The Role of Experimentally Induced Pain Tests in the Assessment of Women with Provoked Vestibular Pain. Int J Womens Health 2024; 16:1199-1210. [PMID: 38974514 PMCID: PMC11225990 DOI: 10.2147/ijwh.s441863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose A diagnostic algorithm was recently suggested to address the underlying mechanisms of provoked-vestibulodynia (PVD). It delineates four subgroups (Hormonal-associated, Augmented-anterior, Hymenal-associated and Hypertonicity-associated), each manifesting a distinctive vulvar pain-hypersensitivity regarding location (circumferential vs posterior-only vestibulodynia) and pain characteristics. We aimed to explore the significance of various experimentally induced vulvar pain measures in the manifestation of pain hypersensitivity in each subgroup. Methods Women with PVD (n = 113) and 43 controls reported pain intensity provoked during vaginal penetration and tampon insertion. Vestibular tenderness (anterior and posterior) was assessed by Q-tip test, and pressure stimulation delivered to the puborectalis assessed muscle tenderness. Pain thresholds were measured using a vulvar-algesiometer. These measures were compared between patients and controls and among the PVD subgroups. Correlations between the clinical and experimentally induced-pain measures were assessed. Finally, to address whether the association between experimentally induced-pain measures and dyspareunia severity is mediated by hypertonicity, the conditional indirect effect was analyzed in each subgroup. Results Compared to controls, augmented vulvar pain-hypersensitivity and hypertonicity were observed among patients (p < 0.001). ANOVA revealed no subgroup differences in dyspareunia severity. Nevertheless, some experimentally induced-pain measures were differently correlated with dyspareunia intensity in each subgroup, allowing discrimination of subgroups according to the unique findings of vulvar pain-hypersensitivity. The degree of pelvic floor muscle-hypertonicity mediated the association between vulvar pain-hypersensitivity and dyspareunia severity, emphasizing the key role of hypertonicity in distinguishing between subgroups. Conclusion The findings offer more evidence of variations among PVD subtypes, demonstrating that insertional dyspareunia may originate from dissimilar alterations in the mucosal and muscular tissues. The results also emphasize the significance of utilizing a wide battery of tests to capture different experimentally induced-pain measures, revealing the unique patterns of vulvar pain-hypersensitivity in each subgroup.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahinoam Lev-Sagie
- Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Clalit Health Organization, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Nosaiba Rayan-Gharra
- Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Hadas Allouche-Kam
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hadassah Mount Scopus-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Michal Granot
- Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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Kadah S, Soh SE, Morin M, Schneider M, Ang WC, McPhate L, Frawley H. Are pelvic pain and increased pelvic floor muscle tone associated in women with persistent noncancer pelvic pain? A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sex Med 2023; 20:1206-1221. [PMID: 37507352 DOI: 10.1093/jsxmed/qdad089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The association between pelvic pain and pelvic floor muscle (PFM) tone in women with persistent noncancer pelvic pain (PNCPP) is unclear. AIM To synthesize the evidence of the association between pelvic pain and PFM tone in women with PNCPP. METHODS A systematic review was conducted via MEDLINE, Emcare, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus to identify relevant studies. Studies were eligible if pelvic pain and PFM tone outcome measures were reported among women aged >18 years. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-sectional Studies was used to assess study quality. Studies were pooled by assessment of PFM tone via a random effects model. Associations between the presence of pelvic pain and PFM tone were assessed with odds ratio (OR), while linear associations were assessed with Pearson or Spearman correlation. OUTCOMES Pelvic pain measures (intensity, threshold, and frequency) and resting PFM tone in women with PNCPP, as evaluated by any clinical assessment method or tool. RESULTS Twenty-four studies were included in this review. The presence of pelvic pain was significantly associated with increased PFM tone as assessed by digital palpation (OR, 2.85; 95% CI, 1.66-4.89). Pelvic pain intensity was inversely but weakly associated with PFM flexibility when evaluated through dynamometry (r = -0.29; 95% CI, -0.42 to -0.17). However, no significant associations were found between pelvic pain and PFM tone when measured with other objective assessment methods. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS Pelvic pain and increased PFM tone may not be directly associated; alternatively, a nonlinear association may exist. A range of biopsychosocial factors may mediate or moderate the association, and clinicians may need to consider these factors when assessing women with PNCPP. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS This review was reported according to the PRISMA guidelines. All possible findings from relevant theses and conference abstracts were considered in our search. However, nonlinear associations between pelvic pain and increased PFM tone were not assessed as part of this review. CONCLUSION Pelvic pain may be linearly associated with increased PFM tone and decreased PFM flexibility when measured with digital palpation or dynamometry; however, this association was not observed when other aspects of PFM tone were assessed through objective methods. Future studies are required using robust assessment methods to measure PFM tone and analyses that account for other biopsychosocial factors that may influence the association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaza Kadah
- Department of Physiotherapy, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3199, Australia
- Department of Physical Therapy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sze-Ee Soh
- Department of Physiotherapy, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3199, Australia
| | - Melanie Morin
- School of Rehabilitation Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec J1K2R1, Canada
| | - Michal Schneider
- Department of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - W Catarina Ang
- Women's Health Services, Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria 3052 Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Lucy McPhate
- Department of General Medicine, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Helena Frawley
- Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
- Allied Health Research, The Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria 3052 Australia
- Allied Health Research, Mercy Hospital for Women, Melbourne, Victoria 3084, Australia
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Berenguer-Soler M, Navarro-Sánchez A, Compañ-Rosique A, Luri-Prieto P, Navarro-Ortiz R, Gómez-Pérez L, Pérez-Tomás C, Font-Juliá E, Gil-Guillén VF, Cortés-Castell E, Navarro-Cremades F, Montejo AL, Arroyo-Sebastián MDÁ, Pérez-Jover V. Genito Pelvic Pain/Penetration Disorder (GPPPD) in Spanish Women-Clinical Approach in Primary Health Care: Review and Meta-Analysis. J Clin Med 2022; 11:2340. [PMID: 35566467 PMCID: PMC9105657 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11092340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexuality is a component of great relevance in humans. Sexual disorders are a major public health problem representing a high prevalence in the general population. DSM-5 genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder (GPPPD) includes dyspareunia and vaginismus (DSM-IV-TR). To assess the importance of research on these disorders in Spain, we evaluated the Spanish scientific publications of primary and community care. The objective was to quantify the magnitude of the publications of GPPPD in Spanish women in primary and community care. For this, we used the method of conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies evaluating GPPPD. As main results, of the 551 items found, we selected 11 studies that met the inclusion criteria. In primary care in Spain, one in nine women has these disorders; the percentage of women with GPPPD in this study (raw data) was 11.23% (95% CI: 0-29%) (vaginismus 5%; penetration pain 8.33%; dyspareunia 16.45%). These percentages can differ of those from other countries, and they are at the top of the data of the European countries (9-11.9%). There is much variability in the studies found in the world with respect to the prevalence of these health problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Berenguer-Soler
- Faculty of Psychology, Miguel Hernández University, 03202 Elche, Spain; (M.B.-S.); (A.N.-S.); (V.P.-J.)
| | - Antonio Navarro-Sánchez
- Faculty of Psychology, Miguel Hernández University, 03202 Elche, Spain; (M.B.-S.); (A.N.-S.); (V.P.-J.)
| | - Antonio Compañ-Rosique
- University Hospital of San Juan, 03550 San Juan de Alicante, Spain; (A.C.-R.); (P.L.-P.); (C.P.-T.); (E.F.-J.)
- School of Medicine, Miguel Hernández University, 03550 San Juan de Alicante, Spain; (L.G.-P.); (V.F.G.-G.); (E.C.-C.); (F.N.-C.)
| | - Paloma Luri-Prieto
- University Hospital of San Juan, 03550 San Juan de Alicante, Spain; (A.C.-R.); (P.L.-P.); (C.P.-T.); (E.F.-J.)
| | | | - Luis Gómez-Pérez
- School of Medicine, Miguel Hernández University, 03550 San Juan de Alicante, Spain; (L.G.-P.); (V.F.G.-G.); (E.C.-C.); (F.N.-C.)
- General University Hospital of Elche, 03203 Elche, Spain
| | - Carla Pérez-Tomás
- University Hospital of San Juan, 03550 San Juan de Alicante, Spain; (A.C.-R.); (P.L.-P.); (C.P.-T.); (E.F.-J.)
| | - Elsa Font-Juliá
- University Hospital of San Juan, 03550 San Juan de Alicante, Spain; (A.C.-R.); (P.L.-P.); (C.P.-T.); (E.F.-J.)
| | - Vicente F. Gil-Guillén
- School of Medicine, Miguel Hernández University, 03550 San Juan de Alicante, Spain; (L.G.-P.); (V.F.G.-G.); (E.C.-C.); (F.N.-C.)
| | - Ernesto Cortés-Castell
- School of Medicine, Miguel Hernández University, 03550 San Juan de Alicante, Spain; (L.G.-P.); (V.F.G.-G.); (E.C.-C.); (F.N.-C.)
| | - Felipe Navarro-Cremades
- School of Medicine, Miguel Hernández University, 03550 San Juan de Alicante, Spain; (L.G.-P.); (V.F.G.-G.); (E.C.-C.); (F.N.-C.)
| | - Angel L. Montejo
- Psychiatry Service, Clinical Hospital of the University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Paseo San Vicente SN, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Nursing School, University of Salamanca, Av. Donantes de Sangre SN, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | | | - Virtudes Pérez-Jover
- Faculty of Psychology, Miguel Hernández University, 03202 Elche, Spain; (M.B.-S.); (A.N.-S.); (V.P.-J.)
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Kapurubandara SC, Lowes B, Sansom-Daly UM, Deans R, Abbott JA. A systematic review of diagnostic tests to detect pelvic floor myofascial pain. Int Urogynecol J 2022; 33:2379-2389. [PMID: 35796787 PMCID: PMC9427874 DOI: 10.1007/s00192-022-05258-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS Myofascial pain arising from pelvic floor muscles occurs in women with vaginismus, interstitial cystitis and endometriosis but is often overlooked. The aim is to examine alternative diagnostic tests to detect pelvic floor myofascial pain compared with standardized vaginal palpation of pelvic floor muscles as the reference test. METHODS A systematic review was prospectively conducted (PROSPERO-CRD42020183092) according to PRISMA guidelines. Databases searched included Ovid Medline 1946-, Embase 1957-, Scopus 1960-, Cochrane Combined, Clinical trials, Google Scholar (top 200 articles), Web of Science, TRIP, BIOSIS, DARE, CINHAL, EmCare, PEDro, ProQuest and EBSCOhost up to July 2020. Articles were independently screened by two authors and assessed for bias using QUASDAS-2 tool. RESULTS A total of 26,778 articles were screened and 177 were selected for full text review, of which 5 were selected for final analysis. Five studies included 9694 participants of which 1628 had pelvic floor myofascial pain. Only one study reported data to calculate sensitivities and specificities of the index test, which utilized a score of > 40 on the Central Sensitization Inventory to detect women with pelvic floor myofascial pain and revealed a sensitivity of 34.8% and a specificity of 84.9% compared to the reference test. CONCLUSIONS This systematic review did not reveal any diagnostic test superior to the pre-defined reference test. There is a lack of consensus on the definition of pelvic floor myofascial pain and a lack of a validated diagnostic criteria which must be addressed to progress with meaningful research in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Supuni C. Kapurubandara
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Level 1, Royal Hospital for Women, Barker Street, Randwick, Sydney, NSW 2031 Australia ,Department of O&G, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia ,Sydney West Advanced Pelvic Surgical Unit, SWAPS, Sydney, Australia
| | - Basia Lowes
- Sydney West Advanced Pelvic Surgical Unit, SWAPS, Sydney, Australia ,Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia ,Department of O&G, Blacktown Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - Ursula M. Sansom-Daly
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Level 1, Royal Hospital for Women, Barker Street, Randwick, Sydney, NSW 2031 Australia ,Behavioural Sciences Unit, Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children’s Hospital, Sydney, Australia ,Sydney Youth Cancer Service, Nelune Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - Rebecca Deans
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Level 1, Royal Hospital for Women, Barker Street, Randwick, Sydney, NSW 2031 Australia ,GRACE Unit, Royal Hospital for Women, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jason A. Abbott
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Level 1, Royal Hospital for Women, Barker Street, Randwick, Sydney, NSW 2031 Australia ,GRACE Unit, Royal Hospital for Women, Sydney, Australia
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