Imaging of Pelvic Venous Disorders (PeVD); Should Every Patient Get an MRI?

Pelvic venous disease (PeVD) is part of the broad differential diagnosis of chronic pelvic pain with a challenging diagnosis and clinical workup to identify those patients that are most likely to benefit from intervention. Ultrasound, MRI, CT, venography, and intravascular ultrasound can all provide information to aid in the diagnostic algorithm. The purpose of this article is to review imaging as a component of the outpatient workup of patients with chronic pelvic pain to guide appropriate understanding and use of imaging modalities to accurately identify patients suffering from PeVD. A favored approach is to begin with transabdominal sonography with selective use of MRI/MRV in specific patient populations.

Principais causas ginecológicas de dor pélvica aguda em mulheres / Main gynecological causes of acute pelvic pain in women

Este trabalho buscou reunir dados essenciais sobre as etiologias de dor pélvica aguda, uma queixa constante nos serviços de emergências e ambulatórios de ginecologia, responsável por grande desconforto e impacto na qualidade de vida de pacientes mulheres. É uma condição laboriosa por causa de seu amplo espectro de causas, devendo ser abordada com cuidado e atenção pelo profissional médico, o qual deve considerar os diversos diagnósticos diferenciais, sendo a ultrassonografia o exame de maior importância para auxiliar em seu diagnóstico. As principais etiologias não obstétricas podem ser não ginecológicas e ginecológicas; essas últimas são divididas em anexiais e uterinas. Entre as causas ginecológicas, devem- -se investigar cistos ovarianos, torções anexiais, leiomiomas, doença inflamatória pélvica, abscesso tubo-ovariano, dismenorreia e complicações de dispositivos intrauterinos. A maioria das causas tem tratamento eficaz, com retorno da função do órgão e melhora da qualidade de vida, sem complicações, especialmente se diagnosticada precocemente.(AU)

The aim of this study was to gather important data on acute pelvic pain etiologies, a usual complaint in the emergency services and gynecology outpatient clinics, responsible for great discomfort and impact on quality of life in female patients. It is a laborious condition due to its wide spectrum of causes, which needs to be approached with attention by the physician, who must consider all the possible diagnoses, being the ultrasonography the most important exam to detect it. The main non-obstetric etiologies can be non-gynecological and gynecological, which are separated in adnexal and uterine causes. Among the gynecological causes, ovarian cysts, adnexal torsions, leiomyomas, pelvic inflammatory disease, ovarian tube abscess, dysmenorrhea and complications of intrauterine devices should be investigated. Most causes can be effectively treated, with return of organ function and improved quality of life, without complications, especially if diagnosed early.(AU)

[Embolization of insufficient pelvic veins for pelvic congestion syndrome. Analysis of 17 cases]. / Dolor pélvico crónico secundario a síndrome de congestión pélvica. Resultados del tratamiento endovascular de la insuficiencia venosa pelviana y várices genitales.

BACKGROUND: Pelvic venous insufficiency may cause pelvic congestion syndrome that is characterized by chronic pelvic pain exacerbated by prolonged standing, sexual activity or menstrual cycle. It may be treated by embolizing the dysfunctional pelvic venous drainage and sometimes resecting vulvar, perineal and thigh varices. AIM: To assess the results of embolization of insufficient pelvic or ovarian veins on pelvic congestion syndrome. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Analysis of 17 female patients aged 32 to 53 years, who underwent subjected to a selective coil embolization of insufficient pelvic and/or ovarian veins through the jugular, basilic or cephalic veins. In the preoperative period, all patients had a lower extremity venous duplex pelvic ultrasound examination and some had an abdominal and pelvic CT angiogram. RESULTS: The technical success of the procedure was 100% and no complications were registered. During a 32 month follow up, no patient had symptoms of pelvic venous insufficiency or relapse of vulvar or thigh varices. CONCLUSIONS: Embolization of insufficient pelvic and ovarian veins is a safe and successful procedure for the treatment of pelvic venous insufficiency or vulvar varices.

Imaging description of extragenital müllerian adenosarcoma: A case report / Descrição da imagem do adenosarcoma mülleriano extragenital: relato de caso

Abstract Müllerian adenosarcoma is a very rare gynecological disease, comprising 5% of uterine sarcomas. Extragenital localizations are even rarer.We report a very interesting case of a 27-year-old woman complaining of pelvic pain, with a subsequent diagnosis of extragenital Müllerian adenosarcoma. This is the first case reported in the literature with a complete and wide imaging description. Even if rare, Müllerian adenosarcoma should be hypothesized in case of young female patients presenting with suspicious pelvic mass.

Resumo O adenosarcoma Mülleriano é uma doença ginecológica muito rara, compreendendo 5% dos sarcomas uterinos. Localizações extragenitais são ainda mais raras. Relatamos um caso muito interessante de uma mulher de 27 anos queixando-se de dor pélvica com diagnóstico subsequente de adenosarcoma Mülleriano extragenital. Este é o primeiro caso relatado na literatura com uma descrição completa e ampla de imagem. Mesmo que raro, o adenosarcoma Mülleriano deve ser hipotetizado no caso de pacientes jovens do sexo feminino com massa pélvica suspeita.

Imaging Description of Extragenital Müllerian Adenosarcoma: A Case Report.

Müllerian adenosarcoma is a very rare gynecological disease, comprising 5% of uterine sarcomas. Extragenital localizations are even rarer. We report a very interesting case of a 27-year-old woman complaining of pelvic pain, with a subsequent diagnosis of extragenital Müllerian adenosarcoma. This is the first case reported in the literature with a complete and wide imaging description. Even if rare, Müllerian adenosarcoma should be hypothesized in case of young female patients presenting with suspicious pelvic mass.

O adenosarcoma Mülleriano é uma doença ginecológica muito rara, compreendendo 5% dos sarcomas uterinos. Localizações extragenitais são ainda mais raras. Relatamos um caso muito interessante de uma mulher de 27 anos queixando-se de dor pélvica com diagnóstico subsequente de adenosarcoma Mülleriano extragenital. Este é o primeiro caso relatado na literatura com uma descrição completa e ampla de imagem. Mesmo que raro, o adenosarcoma Mülleriano deve ser hipotetizado no caso de pacientes jovens do sexo feminino com massa pélvica suspeita.

Dolor pélvico crónico secundario a síndrome de congestión pélvica: resultados del tratamiento endovascular de la insuficiencia venosa pelviana y várices genitales / Embolization of insufficient pelvic veins for pelvic congestion syndrome: analysis of 17 cases

Background: Pelvic venous insufficiency may cause pelvic congestion syndrome that is characterized by chronic pelvic pain exacerbated by prolonged standing, sexual activity or menstrual cycle. It may be treated by embolizing the dysfunctional pelvic venous drainage and sometimes resecting vulvar, perineal and thigh varices. Aim: To assess the results of embolization of insufficient pelvic or ovarian veins on pelvic congestion syndrome. Material and Methods: Analysis of 17 female patients aged 32 to 53 years, who underwent subjected to a selective coil embolization of insufficient pelvic and/or ovarian veins through the jugular, basilic or cephalic veins. In the preoperative period, all patients had a lower extremity venous duplex pelvic ultrasound examination and some had an abdominal and pelvic CT angiogram. Results: The technical success of the procedure was 100% and no complications were registered. During a 32 month follow up, no patient had symptoms of pelvic venous insufficiency or relapse of vulvar or thigh varices. Conclusions: Embolization of insufficient pelvic and ovarian veins is a safe and successful procedure for the treatment of pelvic venous insufficiency or vulvar varices.

Riñones pélvicos y embarazo / Pelvic Kidneys and Pregnancy

Las anomalías congénitas del riñón pueden ser variadas. Dentro de las anomalías de posición, una de las más frecuentes es la ectopia renal y la localización más frecuente es en la cavidad pélvica (riñón pélvico). Se presenta el caso de una paciente en su tercera década de vida que acude a consulta de nefrología por dolor lumbar inespecífico, se decide realizar ultrasonido renal, no encontrándose los riñones en su posición habitual. Después de tener los resultados normales de una hemoquímica sanguínea se somete a un urograma descendente donde se pueden apreciar los riñones en una posición pélvica. Unos meses después la paciente acude nuevamente a consulta remitida por obstetricia por embarazo deseado de 9 semanas. Se conversa con la paciente de los principales riesgos y se decide continuar con la gestación haciendo recomendaciones generales y un seguimiento estrecho para lograr llevar a término el embarazo. La evolución de la paciente fue favorable y hoy disfruta de su maternidad a pesar de tener una anomalía congénita renal que no es infrecuente y que se detecta muchas veces de forma casual y que en este caso los riñones compartieron el espacio pélvico con una gestación que llegó a feliz término(AU)

Congenital kidney abnormalities can be varied. Within the positional abnormalities, one of the most frequent is the renal ectopia and the most frequent location is in the pelvic cavity (pelvic kidney). We present the case of a patient in her third decade of life who went to a nephrology clinic for nonspecific low back pain. It was decided to perform renal ultrasound, not finding the kidneys in their usual position. After having normal results of a blood chemistry, it is subjected to a downward urogram where the kidneys could be seen in a pelvic position. Few months later this patient returned to a consultation referred by obstetrics for a nine-week desired pregnancy. The main risks are discussed and the patient decided to continue her pregnancy. General recommendations are given to the patient and a close follow-up is the option to follow in order to achieve this pregnancy. The evolution was favorable and now this patient enjoys her motherhood despite having a renal congenital anomaly that is not uncommon and it is often detected by chance. In this case, kidneys shared the pelvic space with a gestation that arrived to a happy ending(AU)

The role of diagnostic laparoscopy in gynecology.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVES: Laparoscopy is a diagnostic method that is currently becoming consolidated for therapeutic use. It consists of endoscopically viewing the abdominal cavity. The aim here was to evaluate the indications for diagnostic videolaparoscopy and the intraoperative findings in an endoscopic gynecology clinic at a tertiary-level hospital over the last five years. DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective descriptive study on all diagnostic videolaparoscopy procedures of the last five years carried out in the endoscopic gynecology clinic of a tertiary-level hospital. METHODS: The medical records of 618 women who underwent diagnostic laparoscopy between 2008 and 2012 were analyzed. The clinical characteristics of these women, the indications for videolaparoscopy and the intraoperative findings were evaluated. RESULTS: The women's mean age was 32 ± 6.4 years. Most of the women had already undergone at least one previous operation (60%), which was most frequently a cesarean. The indications for performing videolaparoscopy were infertility in 57%, chronic pelvic pain in 27% and others (intrauterine device, adnexal tumor, ectopic pregnancy or pelvic inflammatory disease) in 16%. The main laparoscopic findings were tubal alterations in the group with infertility (59.78%) and peritoneal alterations in the group with chronic pelvic pain (43.54%). CONCLUSION: The main indications for videolaparoscopy in gynecology were infertility and chronic pelvic pain. However, in most procedures, no abnormalities justifying these complaints were found.

[The role of the computed tomography in the identification of the syndrome of pelvic congestion]. / El papel de la tomografía computada en la identificación del síndrome de congestión pélvica.

BACKGROUND: Pelvic congestion syndrome is a condition not yet fully understood, hence provokes controversy. It is cause of up to 40% of visits to the doctor; affecting women of reproductive age who experience non-specific symptoms such as characteristic pelvic pain with more than six months of evolution and difficult to treat dyspareunia in which even narcotics are insufficient for control. OBJECTIVE: To recognize the vascular anatomy of the pelvic cavity and identify the characteristics of pelvic congestion syndrome demonstrable by computed tomography. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A descriptive, observational, cross-sectional and retrospective study at Hospital Angeles del Pedregal, in the Department of Radiology and Imaging with patients who reported imaging studies with key findings to recognize the pelvic congestion syndrome. All women with incidental finding of abnormal dilation of the gonadal vein were included, allowing to suggest pelvic congestion syndrome as a possible diagnosis. RESULTS: There were 17 cases (0.9%) of patients with abdominopelvic pain syndrome who underwent multislice computed tomography to 3 mm, with extension from the lung bases to the pubic symphysis. Predominance of left gonadal vein is conditioned by the anatomical arrangement of the left gonadal vein. During the arterial phase opacification of the gonadal vein was identified in 11 patients (65%), a circumstance that correlates with retrograde venous flow valve incompetence. In computed tomography findings of pelvic congestion syndrome were also identified 12 patients (70%) with abdominopelvic pain syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: Pelvic congestion syndrome is a rare condition that radiologists do not consider because they don't know it and the clinical diagnoses give no clinical data to suggest this condition. But if one takes into account the literature, it refers to it as the origin of up to 40% of the visits to the gynecologist, and there may be more cases that will increase its prevalence.

Embolization of incompetent pelvic veins for the treatment of recurrent varicose veins in lower limbs and pelvic congestion syndrome.

PURPOSE: We present our experience with embolization of incompetent pelvic veins (IPV) in women with recurrence of varicose veins (VV) in lower limbs, as well as symptoms of pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS), after first surgery. In addition, we evaluated the effects of embolization in decreasing the symptoms of VV before surgery as well as its effects on PCS symptoms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included 10 women who had consulted a vascular surgeon because of recurrent VV in lower limbs after surgery. All of these patients were included in the study because they also had symptoms of PCS, probably due to IPV. In patients who had confirmed IPV, we performed embolization before a second surgery. VV and PCS were assessed before and at 3 months after embolization (before the second surgery) using a venous clinical severity score (VCSS) and a visual analog pain scale (VAS), respectively. Patients were controlled between 3 and 6 months after embolization. Paired Student t test analysis was used for comparing data before and after embolization. RESULTS: Fifteen vein segments in 10 women were suitable for embolization. There was a significant (p < 0.001) decrease of VCSS after embolization, and recurrence of VV was not detected within a period of 6 months. There was also significant (p < 0.01) relief of chronic pelvic pain related to PCS evaluated using VAS at 3 months after embolization. CONCLUSION: Embolization decreases the risk of VV recurrence after surgery and also improves PCS symptoms in women with VV in lower limbs and IPV.

[Splenosis and pelvic pain. A report of a case and literature review]. / Esplenosis y dolor pélvico. Reporte de un caso y revisión de la literatura.

Initially described by Buchbinder and Lipkoff in 1929, esplenosis is the transplant of the splenic heterotopy weave in the abdominal cavity. It is observed after the splenic traumatic rupture and appendectomy. It occurs also during the embryonic development. The most frequent places where it takes place are: the intrathoraxic cavity, intraperitoneal, retroperitoneo, and brain. Although the presence of this ectopic splenic weave is symptomatic, this pathology can be evident by pain in the pelvis or it can be confused with other pathologies such as hemangiomas of intestine, and endometriosis including metastasis carcinoma. It is impossible to predict which patients will develop the splenosis after the splenic trauma. The time of rupture or damage of the splectonomy and the amount of blood in the peritoneal cavity are not related with the number of implants. The symptoms are the clue. When the splenosis is diagnosed incidentally in a symptomatic patient, the complete surgery removal is not indicated. However this surgery is recommended when the abdominal pain or the diagnosis is uncertain. In this paper a case with a secondary pelvic pain, probably due to a tubaric abortion, agreeing with secondary splenosis and a traumatic splenic rupture, is reported.