title: Chronic pelvic pain: a dilemma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the frequency of gynaecological factors leading to chronic pelvic pain via diagnostic laparoscopy. To see the association of these factors with demographic variables of the patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty patients underwent the study over a period of 1.5 years from 1st January 2007 to 30th June 2008 at the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi. All patients fulfilling inclusion criteria were admitted via Out Patient Department, underwent initial investigations and later Diagnostic Laparoscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty nine patients were in 25-34 years age group and had parity between 1 to 5, and 56% of the patients belonged to poor socioeconomic and educational status. Pelvic Inflammatory disease was the most frequently found gynaecological etiology of Chronic Pelvic Pain (20% of patients) followed by endometriosis (14%) and Pelvic Congestion Syndrome (12%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chronic Pelvic Pain is a common problem of women with multifactorial etiology. Laparoscopy was found be very effective in diagnosing the various gynaecological causes of the disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Asha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santosh
authors.forename: Hammad Bin
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Liaquat
authors.forename: Nagina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fatima
authors.forename: Sidra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liaquat
authors.forename: Mohammad Akhtar
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Anwar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D000292:Pelvic Inflammatory Disease / Q000150:complications; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery