A Comparative Study of Transvaginal Sonography versus Laparoscopy Evaluation in Chronic Pelvic Pain: Original Study

Introduction: Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is intermittent or constant pain in the lower abdomen or pelvis for at least six months duration, not occurring exclusively with menstruation or intercourse and not associated with pregnancy. This chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is poorly understood, and may have significant impact on a woman’s health. Transvaginal sonography (TVS) and laparoscopy are useful in the evaluation of women with CPP. This research was designed to study role of TVS and diagnostic laparoscopy in chronic pelvic pain. Materials and Methods: This prospective study was done at Lalla Ded Hospital from August 2011 to July 2014. All female patients who had clinical diagnosis of CPP were evaluated with the TVS and laparoscopy and findings were recorded. Results: Total of 80 women had CPP. Normal TVS was present in 41 cases (51.25%). The remaining 39 (48.75%) had an abnormal scan. Laparoscopic confirmation of pelvic pathology was reported in 40 cases with abnormal scan but normal scan was confirmed only in 10 (12.50%) cases. Conclusion: In spite of similar specificity and positive predictive value, laparoscopy although being an invasive procedure still has got distinct advantages over TVS in terms of sensitivity and negative predictive value indicating its superiority in management.