Enhancement of the perception of systemic pain in women with vulvar vestibulitis.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine whether the characteristics of systemic pain perception and anxiety differ between women with vulvar vestibulitis and healthy women.


METHODS
Case control study.


METHODS
Tertiary care hospital.


METHODS
Forty-four women with vulvar vestibulitis and 41 healthy women participated in the study.


METHODS
First, the women's state and trait anxiety was evaluated. Thereafer, heat pain stimuli were applied to the women's forearm and the pain and unpleasantness thresholds, as well as magnitude estimation of perceived intensity and unpleasantness of suprathreshold stimuli, were assessed. Finally, blood pressure was measured before, during and after a heat stimulus of 46 degrees C.


METHODS
Pain threshold and suprathreshold, and anxiety levels of women with vulvar vestibulitis.


RESULTS
Women with vulvar vestibulitis had a higher anxiety state (40.0 [12.8] vs 34.1 [10.8], P = 0.044), a higher anxiety trait (42.1 [10.2] vs 35.6 [7.5], P = 0.005), a lower pain threshold (42.2 degrees C [2.5] vs 43.6 degrees C [1.9], P = 0.006), a lower unpleasantness threshold (40.2 degrees C [2.9] vs 41.7 degrees C [2.3], P = 0.023), a higher magnitude estimation of suprathreshold pain at 47 degrees C (88.3 [14.9] vs 70.8 [14.9], P = 0.0001) and at 48 degrees C (96.1 [7.3] vs 84.6 [14.8], P < 0.0001), a higher scoring of tonic pain perception (65.2 [17.3] vs 53.0 [18.6], P = 0.006) and a higher increase in systolic blood pressure during tonic pain stimuli (4.6 [9.6] vs -2.1 [8.7] mmHg, P = 0.005).


CONCLUSIONS
Women with vulvar vestibulitis have an enhanced systemic pain perception and are more anxious.
Faculty of Health and Welfare Studies, University of Haifa, Department of Neurology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
Michal
M
Granot
Michael
M
Friedman
David
D
Yarnitsky
Etan Z
EZ
Zimmer
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D010465:Perception; D014847:Vulvitis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*