Acute Pelvic Pain Flashcards
What is the most common cause of pelvic pain in women (pass med)
Primary dysmennorrhea
What are all the DD for pelvic pain you can think of?
Urinary tract infection
Dysmenorrhoea (painful periods)
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Ovarian cysts
Endometriosis
Pelvic inflammatory disease (infection)
Ectopic pregnancy
Appendicitis
Mittelschmerz (cyclical pain during ovulation)
Pelvic adhesions
Ovarian torsion
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
Degeneration of fibroids
Torsion of an ovarian cysts
Hematocolpos
Hematometra / pyometra
Thinking of pelvic pain as acute vs chronic:
What are some ACUTE causes of pelvic pain? (passmed)
Ectopic pregnancy
UTI
Appendicitis
PID
Ovarian torsion
Misscarriage
Thinking of pelvic pain as acute vs chronic:
What are some CHRONIC causes of pelvic pain? (passmed)
Endometriosis
IBS
Ovarian cyst
Urogenital prolapse
What is pelvic inflammatory disease?
infection and inflammation of the female pelvic organs including the uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries and the surrounding peritoneum.
Usually due to ascending infection from the endocervix.
What are the causative organisms of PID?
Chlamydia trachomatis
+ the most common cause
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Mycoplasma genitalium
Mycoplasma hominis
What are the clinical features of PID?
lower abdominal pain
fever
deep dyspareunia
dysuria and menstrual irregularities (Abnormal vaginal bleeding, including post-coital, inter-menstrual, and heavy menstrual bleeding may occur)
vaginal or cervical discharge can be prurulent
cervical excitation on examination
What is cervical excitation?
Also called cervical motion tenderness or ‘chandelier sign’ (elicits so much pain, woman lifts her arms off bed as if to grab onto ceiling mounted chandelier
Significant clinical sign of excruciating pain when performing a bimanual pelvic examination when cervix comes into contact with clinicians gloved hand.
Suggests inflammatory process in pelvic organs
E.g. PID or ectopic pregnancy
In what 2 causes of acute pelvic pain may you elicit ‘cervical excitability’ or ‘chandelier sign’?
Classically PID
can also get with ectopic pregnancy
What examination could you do to differentiate between PID and appendicitis (2 worrying presentations of acute pelvic pain in a woman)
Bimanual examination - elicit cervical excitation and diffuse tenderness in PID
Speculum: prulent mucocervical discharge
What investigations should you do for PID?
Bedside:
- Pregnancy test to exclude an ectopic pregnancy
Lab:
-Bloods e.g. CRP, WCC, ESR (raised- inflamm), LFTs- Perihepatitis
- Triple swab e.g. high vaginal swab, endocervical
- screen for Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea
Imaging:
- Transvaginal US (confirm when uncertain, tubal wall thickness >5mm, tubo-ovarian abscess)
- Laproscopy (great for diagnosis but invasive to visualise the gynae structures)
What is the outpatient management of PID?
Removal of the IUD should be considered
What are some potential complications of PID?
- perihepatitis (Fitz-Hugh Curtis Syndrome
- occurs in around 10% of cases
- RUQ pain (confused with cholecystitis) - infertility - risk 10-20% after a single episode due to scarred / obstructed fallopian tubes
- chronic pelvic pain
- ectopic pregnancy
- tubo-ovarian abscess
What is a typical history for a patient with an ectopic pregnancy?
women with 6-8 weeks amenorrhoea
who presents with lower abdominal pain and later develops vaginal bleeding
Shoulder tip pain and cervical excitation may be seen
How might a urinary tract infection present as acute pelvic pain?
Dysuria and frequency are common but women may experience suprapubic burning secondary to cystitis
How might a patient with acute pelvic pain secondary to appendicitis present?
History, examination, clinical signs
History:
- Pain initial in the central abdomen before localising to the right iliac fossa
- Anorexia is common
Examination:
- Tachycardia
- low-grade pyrexia
- tenderness in RIF
Clinical signs:
- Rovsing’s sign: more pain in RIF than LIF when palpating LIF
How might ovarian torsion present as a cause of acute pelvic pain? History + examination
Hx:
- Usually sudden onset severe, colicky unilateral lower abdominal pain.
- Triggers:
Onset may coincide with exercise.
associated symptoms:
- Nausea and vomiting are common
Examination:
- Unilateral, tender adnexal mass on examination
- localised peritoneal irritation
How might a patient with acute pelvic pain due to miscarriage present?
Vaginal bleeding and crampy lower abdominal pain following a period of amenorrhoea
PID: History and exam
What key RF are there for pelvic inflammatory disease?
-Prior infection with chlamydia or gonorrhoea or PID
- young age at onset of sexual activity,
- unprotected sexual intercourse with multiple sexual partners
- IUD use
- Diabetes
- Immunocompromised e.g. HIV
- Endometriosis (especially if endometriotic cyst)
- non sexually active women - e-coli haemophillius influenzae wiping back to front cleaning perineum
Why is it important to have a low threshold of diagnosis for PID? What group is especially at risk?
Often missed as can present as non specific signs e.g. abnormal bleeding, dyspareunia, and vaginal discharge
pts at risk:
- sexually active women between the ages of 15 and 24
- patients attending STI clinics
- where the rates of gonorrhoea or chlamydia are high
How would you examine a pt with suspected PID?
general:
- include temperature - pyrexial?
Abdo:
- light and deep palpation (looking for bilateral lower abdo tenderness / pain)
Pelvic :
- inspect external genitalia for vaginal discharge - yellow / green?
- speculum examaintion expose cervix (look for mucpurulent or purulent exudate at the endocervix)
- Bi manual examination - cervical excitation or adenexal tenderness
ASK about:
IMB, PCB and dyspareunia