Denniz Zolnoun

Overnight 5% Lidocaine Ointment for Treatment of Vulvar Vestibulitis

OBJECTIVE To assess the effectiveness of nightly application of 5% lidocaine ointment for treatment of vulvar vestibulitis. METHODS Over 17 months, we assessed women presenting to our pain clinic for evaluation of introital pain; 61 women met the criteria for vulvar vestibulitis and participated in a treatment trial. We measured daily pain and intercourse-related pain using a 100-mm visual analog scale. We compared ability to have intercourse and pain ratings before and after treatment, and investigated whether prior treatment or gynecologic comorbidities predicted response to treatment. RESULTS After a mean of 7 weeks of nightly treatment, 76% of women reported ability to have intercourse, compared with 36% before treatment (P = .002). Intercourse-related pain score was 39.11 (95% confidence interval [CI] 30.39, 47.83) points lower after treatment (P < .001), with a decrease of 10.37 (95% CI 3.53, 17.21) points in daily pain score (P = .004). We found no association between response to prior episodic use of lidocaine and response to nightly therapy with lidocaine ointment. Few patient characteristics predicted response to treatment; however, women with interstitial cystitis and other vulvar conditions were least likely to benefit. CONCLUSION Long-term, nightly application of 5% lidocaine ointment shows promise as a treatment for management of vulvar vestibulitis; a randomized, double-blind, clinical trial is warranted.

Early Breastfeeding Experiences and Postpartum Depression

BACKGROUND: The first weeks after childbirth are a critical period for mother and newborn. Women may present with lactation failure and postpartum depression. It is unclear how a womans early breastfeeding experiences relate to postpartum depression. OBJECTIVE: We estimated the association between early breastfeeding experiences and postpartum depression at 2 months. METHODS: We modeled this association with logistic regression in a secondary analysis of data from the Infant Feeding Practices Study II. We assessed postpartum depression status with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. RESULTS: In the neonatal period, 2,586 women reported ever breastfeeding, among whom 223 (8.6%) met criteria for major depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale 13 or greater) at 2 months postpartum. Women who disliked breastfeeding in the first week were more likely to experience postpartum depression at 2 months (odds ratio [OR] 1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04–1.93) adjusting for maternal age, parity, education, ethnicity, and postnatal WIC participation. Women with severe breastfeeding pain in the first day (adjusted OR 1.96, 95% CI 1.17–3.29), the first week (adjusted OR 2.13, 95% CI 0.74–6.15 compared with no pain), and the second week (adjusted OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.18–4.26 compared with no pain) were more likely to be depressed. Breastfeeding help appeared protective among women with moderate (adjusted OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.05–0.94) or severe (adjusted OR 0.17, 95% CI 0.04–0.75) pain with nursing. CONCLUSION: Women with negative early breastfeeding experiences were more likely to have depressive symptoms at 2 months postpartum. Women with breastfeeding difficulties should be screened for depressive symptoms. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II

Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Women With Chronic Pelvic Pain

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of abuse history, other major trauma, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on medical symptoms and health-related daily functioning in women with chronic pelvic pain. METHODS: We administered a questionnaire to 713 consecutive women seen in a referral-based pelvic pain clinic. RESULTS: We found that 46.8% reported having either a sexual or physical abuse history. A total of 31.3% had a positive screen for PTSD. Using regression and path analysis, controlling for demographic variables, we found that a trauma history was associated with worse daily physical functioning due to poor health (P<.001), more medical symptoms (P<.001), more lifetime surgeries (P<.001), more days spent in bed (P<.001), and more dysfunction due to pain (P<.001). Furthermore, a positive screen for PTSD was highly related to most measures of poor health status (P<.001) and somewhat explained the trauma-related poor health status. CONCLUSION: The association of trauma with poor health may be due in part to the development of PTSD resulting from trauma. These findings demonstrate the importance of screening for trauma and PTSD in women with chronic pelvic pain. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II

A Conceptual Model for the Pathophysiology of Vulvar Vestibulitis Syndrome

Vulvar vestibulitis syndrome (vestibulitis), the most common type of chronic vulvovaginal pain, impairs the psychologic, physical, and reproductive health of approximately 10% of women at some point in their lives. Research on the pathophysiology of vestibulitis suggests abnormalities in 3 interdependent systems: vestibular mucosa, pelvic floor muscles, and central nervous system pain regulatory pathways. To date, causes and relative contributions of these abnormalities to the development and maintenance of vestibulitis remain poorly understood. Research consistently supports the conceptualization of vestibulitis as a chronic pain disorder—akin to fibromyalgia, irritable bowel disorder, and temporomandibular disorder (TMD)—that is far more complex than vestibular hypersensitivity alone. Nevertheless, the clinical diagnosis of vestibulitis continues to rely on subjective report of pain during intercourse and vestibular sensitivity on clinical examination after exclusion of other gynecologic disorders. We propose that current diagnostic criteria, which are based on highly subjective patient and clinician measures, are not sufficient to describe and properly classify the heterogeneous clinical presentations of this disorder. To inform clinical care or research, we must be able to objectively characterize women with vestibulitis. This narrative review critically appraises current conceptualization of vestibulitis and presents a context for studying vestibulitis as a chronic pain disorder, emphasizing the need for objective assessment of clinical features. Target Audience: Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Family Physicians Learning Objectives: After completion of this article, the reader should be able to state that vulvar vestibulitis is common; recall that the disorder has three major pathophysiological pathways and that understanding of these pathways is important in selecting treatment options, and explain that the clinician must attempt to properly classify the clinical presentations of the disorder.

Catastrophizing: a predictor of persistent pain among women with endometriosis at 1 year

BACKGROUND Endometriosis is the most common gynecological diagnosis among women with chronic pelvic pain, but the underlying mechanisms of endometriosis-associated chronic pelvic pain remain unclear. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the biopsychosocial predictors of pain improvement among women with endometriosis. METHODS One hundred and fifteen women who presented for treatment of endometriosis-associated chronic pelvic pain at a tertiary referral center at a university-based hospital participated in this prospective observational study of clinical practice. Participants completed questionnaires assessing pain, mental health and catastrophizing at entry and 1 year follow-up. The main outcome measure assessed was the interval change in pain report using the McGill pain 1uestionnaire. RESULT(S) On average, participants experienced a 37.4% reduction in interval pain (P < 0.001). Adjusted for baseline pain, nulliparity (P = 0.002) and catastrophizing (P = 0.04) were associated with decreased probability of interval improvement in pain. Those referred for physical therapy had less interval pain improvement (P = 0.04). However, undergoing hysterectomy was a strong predictor of improvement in pain (P = 0.008). CONCLUSION(S) Our study suggests that chronic pain in endometriosis may be more akin to other idiopathic pain disorders. Specifically, biopsychosocial variables, such as catastrophizing, play an important role in reported severity. Further research on biopsychosocial correlates of chronic pelvic pain in endometriosis is warranted.

Altered Central Sensitization in Subgroups of Women With Vulvodynia

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical correlates of central nervous system alterations among women with vulvodynia. Altered central sensitization has been linked to dysfunction in central nervous system-inhibitory pathways (eg, &ggr;-aminobutyric acidergic), and metrics of sensory adaptation, a centrally mediated process that is sensitive to this dysfunction, could potentially be used to identify women at risk of treatment failure using conventional approaches. MethodsTwelve women with vulvodynia and 20 age-matched controls participated in this study, which was conducted by sensory testing of the right hands index and middle fingers. The following sensory precepts were assessed: (1) vibrotactile detection threshold; (2) amplitude discrimination capacity (defined as the ability to detect differences in intensity of simultaneously delivered stimuli to 2 fingers); and (3) a metric of adaptation (determined by the impact that applying conditioning stimuli have on amplitude discriminative capacity). ResultsParticipants did not differ on key demographic variables, vibrotactile detection threshold, and amplitude discrimination capacity. However, we found significant differences from controls in adaptation metrics in 1 subgroup of vulvodynia patients. Compared with healthy controls and women with a shorter history of pain [n=5; duration (y)=3.4±1.3], those with a longer history [n=7; duration (y)=9.3±1.4)] were found to be less likely to have adaptation metrics similar to control values. DiscussionChronic pain is thought to lead to altered central sensitization, and adaptation is a centrally mediated process that is sensitive to this condition. This report suggests that similar alterations exist in a subgroup of vulvodynia patients.

Evaluation and treatment of dyspareunia.

Dyspareunia affects 8-22% of women at some point during their lives, making it one of the most common pain problems in gynecologic practice. A mixture of anatomic, endocrine, pathologic, and emotional factors combine to challenge the diagnostic, therapeutic, and empathetic skills of the physician. New understandings of pain in general require new interpretations concerning the origins of pain during intercourse, but also provide new avenues of treatment. The outcomes of medical and surgical treatments for common gynecologic problems should routinely go beyond measures of coital possibility, to include assessment of coital comfort, pleasure, and facilitation of intimacy. This review will discuss aspects of dyspareunia, including anatomy and neurophysiology, sexual physiology, functional changes, pain in response to disease states, and pain after gynecologic surgical procedures.

A randomized, controlled trial of a eutectic mixture of local anesthetic cream (lidocaine and prilocaine) versus penile nerve block for pain relief during circumcision

OBJECTIVE We set out to compare a eutectic mixture of local anesthetic cream (lidocaine and prilocaine) to dorsal penile nerve block with lidocaine for anesthesia during circumcision. STUDY DESIGN In a double-blind study, term newborns were randomized to local anesthetic cream and sodium chloride solution dorsal penile nerve block (n = 31) or to placebo cream and lidocaine dorsal penile nerve block (n = 29). Pain was assessed by determination of heart rate, respiratory rate, and behavioral distress scoring. Group differences were evaluated with repeat-measures analyses of variance. RESULTS Distress scores and heart rates were significantly higher in the eutectic mixture group than in the lidocaine group. Respiratory rates were higher in the eutectic mixture group but did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS Distress scores and heart rates were significantly higher in infants treated with the anesthetic mixture than in infants treated with lidocaine. Dorsal penile nerve block with lidocaine is a more efficacious means of providing anesthesia for neonatal circumcision than the mixture of local anesthetics.

Overlap Between Orofacial Pain and Vulvar Vestibulitis Syndrome

ObjectivesTo explore the prevalence of orofacial pain (OFP) among patients with vulvar vestibulitis syndrome (VVS) and to examine the relationship between signs and symptoms of OFP and clinical characteristics of women with VVS, we investigated differences in psychologic characteristics and severity of painful intercourse. MethodsIn this cross-sectional exploratory study, 137 women with VVS completed questionnaires that assessed levels of pain, anxiety, somatization, and presence of signs and symptoms suggestive of clinical and subclinical OFP. Demographic data were gathered from medical records. ResultsOFP was found to be a highly prevalent (78%) condition among women with VVS. Compared with women who had no OFP symptoms (n=30), those with symptoms (n=64) reported higher levels of anxiety (45.0 vs. 37.8, Bonferroni adjusted P=0.017), somatization (125.2 vs. 96.0, Bonferroni adjusted P<0.001), and psychologic distress (62.8 vs. 56.0, Bonferroni adjusted P=0.002). Although we observed a similar trend among women with subclinical OFP (n=43), this trend only reached statistical significance with respect to somatization. Differences were not detected for demographics, duration of pain, and severity of pain during intercourse across the 3 groups. DiscussionOFP is a common condition among women with VVS. Because severity and duration of painful intercourse did not differ by OFP classification but psychologic characteristics did, we must begin to question a unidimensional focus on vestibular mucosa as a reason for pain and persistent distress.

2015 ISSVD, ISSWSH, and IPPS Consensus Terminology and Classification of Persistent Vulvar Pain and Vulvodynia.

IntroductionIn 2014, the executive council of the International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease, the boards of directors of the International Society for the Study of Womens Sexual Health, and the International Pelvic Pain Society acknowledged the need to revise the current terminology of vulvar pain, on the basis of the significant increase in high-quality etiologic studies published in the last decade. Materials and MethodsThe new terminology was achieved in the following 4 steps. The first involved a terminology consensus conference with representatives of the 3 societies, held in April 2015. Then, an analysis of the relevant published studies was used to establish a level of evidence for each factor associated with vulvodynia. The terminology was amended on the basis of feedback from members of the societies. Finally, each societys board accepted the new terminology. Results and ConclusionsIn 2015, the International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease, International Society for the Study of Womens Sexual Health, and International Pelvic Pain Society adopted a new vulvar pain and vulvodynia terminology that acknowledges the complexity of the clinical presentation and pathophysiology involved in vulvar pain and vulvodynia, and incorporates new information derived from evidence-based studies conducted since the last terminology published in 2003.