Vulvodynia: Case report and review of literature

Gynecologic and Obstetric Investigation

Volumn 65, Issue 3, 2008, Pages 155-161

  Gumus, Ilknur Inegol ^a,b   Sarifakioglu, Evren ^a   Uslu, Hilal ^a   Turhan, Nilgun Ozturk ^a  

^a FATIH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL SCHOOL   (Turkey)

^b FATIH UNIVERSITY   (Turkey)

Author keywords

Depression; Vulvar pain; Vulvodynia, management, treatment

Indexed keywords

AMITRIPTYLINE; BOTULINUM TOXIN A; CARBAMAZEPINE; ESTROGEN; GABAPENTIN; INTERFERON; LOCAL ANESTHETIC AGENT; NALOXONE; SEROTONIN UPTAKE INHIBITOR; STEROID; TRICYCLIC ANTIDEPRESSANT AGENT;

ADULT; ATTRIBUTABLE RISK; CASE REPORT; CLINICAL EXAMINATION; CLINICAL FEATURE; DEPRESSION; FEMALE; GENERAL PRACTITIONER; GYNECOLOGIC DISEASE; GYNECOLOGICAL EXAMINATION; HUMAN; HUMAN TISSUE; HYPOCHONDRIASIS; LABORATORY TEST; LASER SURGERY; POPULATION; PREVALENCE; PRIORITY JOURNAL; PSYCHIATRIST; PSYCHOSEXUAL DISORDER; REVIEW; SOMATOFORM DISORDER; STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE; SYMPTOMATOLOGY; TRANSCUTANEOUS NERVE STIMULATION; URINALYSIS; UTERINE CERVIX BIOPSY; UTERINE CERVIX CYTOLOGY; VULVODYNIA;

ADULT; AMITRIPTYLINE; FEMALE; HUMANS; PELVIC PAIN; SEROTONIN UPTAKE INHIBITORS; SOMATOFORM DISORDERS; VULVAR DISEASES;

EID: 42449100448     PISSN: 03787346     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1159/000110896     Document Type: Review

References (67)

1. Weisfogel E: Battle with a unicorn: the burning vulva. Proc 3rd Cong Int Soc Study Vulvar Dis, Cocoyoc, 1976.
2. McKay M: Burning vulva syndrome, report of the ISSVD taskforce. J Reprod Med 1984;29:457.
3. McKay M: Subsets of vulvodynia. J Reprod Med 1988;33:695-698.
4. Moyal-Barracco M, Lynch PJ: 2003 ISSVD terminology and classification of vulvodynia: a historical perspective. J Reprod Med 2004;49:772-777.
5. Edwards L: New concepts in vulvodynia. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2003;189:24-30.
6. Harlow BL, Stewart EG: A population-based assessment of chronic unexplained vulvar pain: have we underestimated the prevalence of vulvodynia? J Am Med Womens Assoc 2003;58:82-88.
7. Arnold LD, Bachman GA, Rosen R, Rhoads GG: Assessment of vulvodynia symptoms in a sample of US women: a prevalence survey with a nested case control study. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2007;196:128e1-128e6.
8. Prayson RA, Stoler MH, Hart WR: Vulvar vestibulitis: a histopathologic study of 36 cases, including human papillomavirus in situ hybridization analysis. Am J Surg Pathol 1995;19:154-160.
9. Sarma AV, Foxman B, Bayirli B, Haefner H, Sobel JD: Epidemiology of vulvar vestibulitis syndrome: an exploratory case-control study. Sex Transm Infect 1999;75:320-326.
10. Bohm-Starke N, Hilliges M, Falconer C, Rylander E: Increased intraepithelial innervation in women with vulvar vestibulitis syndrome. Gynecol Obstet Invest 1998;46:256-260.
11. Masterson BJ, Galask RP, Ballas ZK: Natural killer cell function in women with vestibulitis. J Reprod Med 1996;41:562-568.
12. Ashman RB, Ott AK: Autoimmunity as a factor in recurrent vaginal candidiasis and the minor vestibular gland syndrome. J Reprod Med 1989;34:264-266.
13. Bornstein J, Shapiro S, Goldshmid N, Goldik Z, Lahat N, Abramovici H: Severe vulvar vestibulitis: relation to HPV infection. J Reprod Med 1997;42:514-518.
14. McKay M: Vulvodynia: diagnostic patterns. Dermatol Clin 1992;10:423-433.
15. Bazin S, Bouchard C, Brisson J, Morin C, Meisels A, Fortier M: Vulvar vestibulitis syndrome: an exploratory case-control study. Obstet Gynecol 1994;83:47-50.
16. Shafik A: Pudendal canal syndrome as a cause of vulvodynia and its treatment by pudendal nerve decompression. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 1998;80:215-220.
17. Cox JT: Deconstructing vulval pain. Lancet 1995;345:53.
18. Bohm-Starke N, Hilliges M, Falconer C, Rylander E: Neurochemical characterization of the vestibular nerves in women with vulvar vestibulitis syndrome. Gynecol Obstet Invest 1999;48:270-275.
19. Aikens JE, Reed BD, Gorenflo DW, Haefner HK: Depressive symptoms among women with vulvar dysesthesia. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2003;189:462-466.
20. Wylie K, Hallam-Jones R, Harrington C: Psychological difficulties within a group of patients with vulvodynia. J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol 2004;25:257-265.
21. Edwards L, Mason M, Phillips M, Norton J, Boyle M: Childhood sexual and physical abuse: incidence in patients with vulvodynia. J Reprod Med 1997;42:135-139.
22. Reed BD, Haefner HK, Punch MR, Roth RS, Gorenflo DW, Gillespie BW: Psychosocial and sexual functioning in women with vulvodynia and chronic pelvic pain: a comparative evaluation. J Reprod Med 2000;45:624-632.
23. Consoli SG: Psychosomatic approach of vulvodynia. Gynecol Obstet Fertil 2003;31:948-953.
24. Lynch PJ: Vulvodynia: a syndrome of unexplained vulvar pain, psychologic disability and sexual dysfunction. J Reprod Med 1986;31:773-780.
25. Masheb RM, Lozano-Blanco C, Kohorn EI, Minkin MJ, Kerns RD: Assessing sexual function and dyspareunia with the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) in women with vulvodynia. J Sex Marital Ther 2004;30:315-324.
26. Slone S, Reynolds L, Gall S, Peiper S, Martin A, Ackermann D, et al: Localization of chromogranin, synaptophysin, serotonin, and CXCR2 in neuroendocrine cells of the minor vestibular glands: an immunohistochemical study. Int J Gynecol Pathol 1999;18:360-365.
27. Chadha S, Gianotten WL, Drogendijk AC, Weijmar Schultz WC, Blindeman LA, van der Meijden WI: Histopathologic features of vulvar vestibulitis. Int J Gynecol Pathol 1998;17:7-11.
28. Glazer HI, Jantos M, Hartmann EH, Swencionis C: Electromyographic comparisons of the pelvic floor in women with dysesthetic vulvodynia and asymptomatic women. J Reprod Med 1998;43:959-962.
29. Graziottin A, Castoldi E, Montorsi F, Salonia A, Maga T: Vulvodynia: the challenge of 'unexplained' genital pain. J Sex Marital Ther 2001;27:503-512.
30. 2 laser treatment of the female genital mucosa. Dermatology 2001;202:371-372.
31. Wakelin SH, Marren P: Lichen sclerosis in women. Clin Dermatol 1997;15:155-169.
32. Pernicaiaro C, Bustamante A, Gutierrez M: Two cases of vulvodynia with unusual causes. Acta Dermatol Venerol 1993;73:227-228.
33. Lambiris A, Greaves MW: Urticaria: increasingly recognised but not adequately highlighted cause of dyspareunia and vulvodynia. Acta Dermatol Venereol (Stockh) 1996;77:160-166.
34. Lewis F, Harrington CI: Use of magnetic resonance imaging in vulvodynia. J Reprod Med 1997;42:169.
35. Shafik A: Pudendal canal syndrome as a cause of vulvodynia and its treatment by pudendal nerve decompression. Eur J Obstet Gynaecol Reprod Biol 1998;80:215-220.
36. Tympanidis P, Terenghi G, Dowd P: Increased innervation of the vulval vestibule in patients with vulvodynia. Br J Dermatol 2003;148:1021-1027.
37. Marinoff SC, Turner ML: Vulvar vestibulitis syndrome: an overview. Am J Obstet Gynaecol 1991;165:1228-1233.
38. Woodruff JD, Parmerley TH: Infection of the minor vestibular gland. Obstet Gynaecol 1983;62:609-612.
39. McKay M: Subsets of vulvodynia. J Reprod Med 1988;33:695-698.
40. Friedrich EG: Vulvar vestibulitis syndrome. J Reprod Med 1987;32:110-114.
41. Goetsch MF: Vulvar vestibulitis: prevalence and historic features in a general gynecologic practice population. Am J Obstet Gynaecol 1991;164:1606-1611.
42. Schover LR, Youngs DD, Cannata RN: Psychosexual aspects of the evaluation and management of vulval vestibulitis. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1991;167:630-636.
43. Bazin S, Bouchard C, Brisson J, Morin C, Meisels A, Fortier M: Vulvar vestibulitis syndrome: an exploratory case-controlled study. Obstet Gynecol 1994;83:47-50.
44. Peckham BM, Mak DG, Patterson JJ: Focal vulvitis: a characteristic syndrome and a cause of dyspareunia. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1986;154:855-864.
45. Curnow SH, Barron L, Morrison G, Sergeant P: Vulval algesiometer. Med Biol Eng Comput 1996;34:266-269.
46. Bergeron S, Binik YM, Khalife S, Pagidas K: Vulvar vestibulitis syndrome: a critical review. Clin J Pain 1997;13:27-42.
47. Schover LR, Youngs DD, Cannata R: Psychosexual aspects of the evaluation and management of vulvar vestibulitis. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1992;167:630-663.
48. Furlonge CB, Thin RN, Evans BE, McKee PH: Vulvar vestibulitis syndrome: a clinicopathological study. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 1991;98:703-706.
49. Wijma B, Wijma K: A cognitive behavioural treatment model of vaginismus. Scand J Behav Ther 1997;24:147-156.
50. McKay M: Dysaesthetic vulvodynia. J Reprod Med 1993;38:9-13.
51. Ridley CM: Vulvodynia: theory and management. Sex Transm Dis 1998;16:775-778.
52. Mariani L: Vulvar vestibulitis syndrome: an overview of non-surgical treatment. Eur J Gynecol Reprod Biol 2002;101:109-112.
53. Bachmann GA, Rosen R, Arnold LD, Burd I, Rhoads GG, Leiblum SR, Avis N: Chronic vulvar and other gynecologic pain: prevalence and characteristics in a self-reported survey. J Reprod Med 2006;51:3-9.
54. Backonja M, Beydoun A, Edwards K, Schwartz SL, Fonesca V, Hes M, et al: Gabapentin for the symptomatic treatment of painful neuropathy in patients with diabetes mellitus: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA 1998;280:1831-1836.
55. Rowbotham M, Harden N, Stacey B, Berstein P, Magnus-Miller L: Gabapentin for the treatment of posttherapeutic neuralgia: a randomized, controlled trial. JAMA 1998;280:1837-1842.
56. Haefner HK, Collins ME, Davis GD, Edwards L, Foster DC, Hartmann ED, Kaufman RH, Lynch PJ, Margesson LJ, Moyal-Barracco M, Piper CK, Reed BD, Stewart EG, Wilkinson EJ: The vulvodynia guideline (review). J Low Genit Tract Dis 2005;9:40-51.
57. McCormack WM, Spence MR: Evaluation of the surgical treatment of vulvar vestibulitis. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 1999;86:135-138.
58. Kemler MA, Barendse GA, van Kleef M, de Vet HC, Rijks CP, Furnee CA, van den Wildenberg FA: Spinal cord stimulation in patients with chronic reflex sympathetic dystrophy. N Engl J Med 2000;343:618-624.
59. Melzack R, Wall PD: Pain mechanisms: a new theory. Science 1965;150:971-979.
60. Whiteside JL, Walters MD, Mekhail N: Spinal cord stimulation for intractable vulvar pain: a case report. J Reprod Med 2003;48:821-823.
61. Faden AI, Jacobs TP, Mougey E, Holaday JW: Endorphins in experimental spinal injury: therapeutic effect of naloxone. Ann Neurol 1981;10:326-332.
62. Powell J, Wojnarowska F: Acupuncture for vulvodynia. J R Soc Med 1999;92:579-581.
63. Arezzo JC: Possible mechanisms for the effects of botulinum toxin on pain. Clin J Pain 2002;18:125-132.
64. Gobel H, Heinze A, Heinze-Kuhn K, Austermann K: Botulinum toxin A in the treatment of headache syndromes and pericranial pain syndromes. Pain 2001;91:195-199.
65. Guyer BM: Mechanism of botulinum toxin in the relief of chronic pain. Curr Rev Pain 1999;3:427-431.
66. Lew MF: Review of the FDA-approved uses of botulinum toxins, including data suggesting efficacy in pain reduction. Clin J Pain 2002;18:142-146.
67. Gunter J, Brewer A, Tawfik O: Botulinum toxin a for vulvodynia: a case report. J Pain 2004;5:238-240.