Authors : Tarini Sonwani, Ratna Biswas
DOI : 10.18231/j.ijogr.2019.039
Volume : 6
Issue : 2
Year : 2019
Page No : 169-172
Introduction: Intra-abdominal adhesions are common features of endometriosis. Adhesions lead to several chronic symptoms including abdominal distension, pain, nausea, and abnormal bowel movement pattern. Adhesive disease may be life-altering in many patients.
Aims and Objectives: To study types of pain and compare it with type and degree of adhesion.
Materials and Methods: Thirty women diagnosed with endometriosis were studied. Pain intensity was assessed by visual analogue scale (VAS) and categorized as mild, moderate or severe accordingly. This was followed by laparoscopy/ laparotomy and staging of endometriosis which was done as per the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) classification system. Corrective procedures were done simultaneously. Women were followed-up after 6 weeks to re-assess the pain intensity by using the same visual analogue scale (VAS).
Results: Mean age of study cohort was 30 ±5.75 years. As per VAS, half of the patients had moderate pain (50%). Forniceal thickening was present in 73.33% and cyst was felt in 66.66% women.76.66% had unilateral cysts. Unilateral tubal adhesions were present in 76.66% women and bilateral adhesions were present in 23.33% women. Among the types of adhesions, flimsy adhesions were most common, being present in 76.66% women and deep adhesions were present in 20% women. Majority had 1/3rd-2/3rd tubal adhesions (46.7%). All the ovarian adhesions were flimsy. Obliteration was present in 30% women. Forniceal thickening was reported in majority of the women with moderate pain (93.3%) (p=0.001). Cyst was felt on per-vaginum examination in 80% women with severe pain. The correlation of degree of ovarian adhesions (p=0.003) and type and degree of tubal adhesions (p=0.004) with degree of pain by VAS in endometriosis was significant.
Conclusion: We found significant association between severity of pain and type of adhesions and between degree of tubal and ovarian adhesions and severity of pain. Operative procedures decrease the severity of pain.
Keywords: Tubal adhesions, Forniceal thickening, pain, visual analogue scale.