Uterine fibroids and gynecologic pain symptoms in a population-based study.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the association between dyspareunia, dysmenorrhea, and noncyclic pelvic pain and the presence and characteristics of uterine fibroids.


METHODS
Population-based cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Desio, Italy.


METHODS
Six hundred thirty-five non-care-seeking participants of the Seveso Women's Health Study with an intact uterus who underwent transvaginal ultrasound.


METHODS
None.


METHODS
Ultrasound-detected presence of uterine fibroids and fibroid characteristics including volume, number, location, and position. Current dyspareunia, dysmenorrhea, and noncyclic pelvic pain was measured by self-report on a visual analog scale.


RESULTS
Uterine fibroids were detected in 96 women (15%). Women with fibroids were more likely to report moderate or severe dyspareunia (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.9-8.3, statistically significant trend) and moderate or severe noncyclic pelvic pain (adjusted OR = 2.6, 95% CI = 0.9-7.6, statistically significant trend) than women without fibroids. Moderate or severe dysmenorrhea was not associated with the presence of fibroids (adjusted OR = 1.1, 95% CI = 0.5-2.6). Number and total volume of fibroids were not related to pain.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first population-based study of gynecologic pain symptoms and fibroids. Dyspareunia and noncyclic pelvic pain, but not dysmenorrhea, increased in severity with the presence of uterine fibroids. Fibroid-associated pain symptomatology in a non-care-seeking population may be different from that of a clinic population.
Lippman
Sheri A
SA
School of Public Health, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720-7360, USA.
Warner
Marcella
M
Samuels
Steven
S
Olive
David
D
Vercellini
Paolo
P
Eskenazi
Brenda
B
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004412:Dysmenorrhea / Q000453:epidemiology; D004414:Dyspareunia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010148:Intractable Pain / Q000453:epidemiology; D017698:Postmenopause; D017697:Premenopause; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*