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Assessment of pelvic floor muscles in women with deep endometriosis

Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics volume 294, pages 519–523 (2016)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

To assess function and prevalence of spasms and trigger points of the pelvic floor muscles in women with deep endometriosis.

Methods

One hundred and four (104) patients were assessed. Group 1 (G1) was composed of 52 subjects diagnosed with deep endometriosis proven by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); Group 2 (G2) was composed of 52 women with no signs of endometriosis. Subjects from both G1 and G2 were seen at the Division of Pelvic Pain and Endometriosis and at Center for Prevention of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, both at Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), respectively. A full physical therapy evaluation was carried out, including medical history, presence of dyspareunia and physical examination, which included detailed evaluation of pelvic floor muscles and occurrence of muscle spasm, trigger point and muscle function.

Results

The average age of the subjects in the study group was 36.4 and 30.9 years in the control group (p = 0.002). A greater prevalence of deep dyspareunia was found in the subjects in the endometriosis group when compared to the control group (p = 0.010). Women in G1 had higher prevalence of muscle spasms. In this group, 53.9 % had spasms—compared to only 17.3 % of women in G2 (p < 0.001). On the other hand, no significant difference between the groups (p = 0.153) was found while searching for the presence of trigger points.

Conclusion

Women with deep endometriosis have increased prevalence of pelvic floor muscle spasms when compared to the control group.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank CAPES for their financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Chronic Pelvic Pain and Endometriosis, Department of Gynecology, Federal University of São Paulo, Rua Napoleão de Barros, 608, São Paulo, Brazil

    Ana Paula Santos dos Bispo, Christine Ploger & Alessandra Fernandes Loureiro

  2. Pelvic Pain and Endometriosis Unit, Gynecology Department, Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of Sao Paulo (EPM-UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil

    Hélio Sato, Alexander Kolpeman & Eduardo Schor

  3. Department of Gynecology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo-Escola Paulista de Medicina (Unifesp-EPM), São Paulo, Brazil

    Manoel João Batista Castello Girão

Authors
  1. Ana Paula Santos dos Bispo
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  2. Christine Ploger
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  3. Alessandra Fernandes Loureiro
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  4. Hélio Sato
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Correspondence to Ana Paula Santos dos Bispo.

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dos Bispo, A.P.S., Ploger, C., Loureiro, A.F. et al. Assessment of pelvic floor muscles in women with deep endometriosis. Arch Gynecol Obstet 294, 519–523 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-016-4025-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-016-4025-x

Keywords

  • Deep endometriosis
  • Pelvic floor muscles
  • Physical therapy
  • Muscle spasm
  • Trigger point
  • Deep dyspareunia