It is estimated that 40% of visits to the gynecologist involve complaints about pelvic pain. 30% of those are due to pelvic venous disease or syndrome. If you suffer from pelvic pain and have seen several specialists without a diagnosis and with no relief, keep reading and you may find an answer to your question. Could my pelvic pain be pelvic congestion syndrome?
What Is PCS?
PCS refers to pelvic congestion syndrome, sometimes known as pelvic venous disease. It can also be referred to as pelvic venous insufficiency. This condition is a chronic one and not related either to pregnancy or your menstruation. It usually affects women between the ages of 20 and 50.
Similar to varicose veins, it occurs due to faulty veins in the ovaries and pelvis and involves blood flow issues in your pelvic veins. The blood flows backward causing swelling and twisted veins. The veins dilate and become filled with blood and then pool in the pelvis resulting in pain.
Risk Factors For Pelvic Congestion Syndrome
You are at a higher risk for pelvic venous disease if you fit the following criteria:
- You have given birth more than one time
- You have varicose veins
- You have a family history of varicose veins
- You have PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome)
Diagnosis
It is difficult to diagnose pelvic venous disease since there are so many causes of pelvic pain.
Imaging tests can rule out other causes of chronic pelvic pain.
Ultrasound
An ultrasound will show vein dilation. The doppler feature can show whether blood is flowing backwards.
MRI or CT
These will show details in your veins that an ultrasound can miss.
Pelvic Venography
This is the gold standard test for pelvic venous disease imaging. It is more invasive however. It is used when other imaging tests do not provide enough evidence needed for a diagnosis. Your veins are more visible and it will indicate where veins are dilated, how blood is flowing, and where it’s pooling.
Treatments
Once a diagnosis is made, there are treatment options, including medication available to address your pelvic pain. To treat the disease, there are minimally invasive procedures including:
- Stent placement for Iliac Vein Compression or May Thurner syndrome
- Ovarian Vein Embolization
- Sclerotherapy
If you have visited several specialists for your pelvic pain, you can rely on The University of Kansas Interventional Radiology to find the right treatment option for you. Call (913) 588-1030 to schedule a visit, or request an appointment online using our secure form.