title: The relation between pelvic varicose veins and lower extremity venous insufficiency in women with chronic pelvic pain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the relation between pelvic varicose veins and lower extremity venous insufficiency in women with chronic pelvic pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was done in Yuzuncu Yil University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, with patients who were referred for abdominal and pelvic imaging between January 2007 and April 2008. A total of 1029 women with pelvic imaging study were included in the study. The presence of venous dilatations (diameter > 5 mm) in parauterine and paraovarian localizations were accepted as pelvic varicose veins. In all patients, endometrial thickness was measured and lower extremity venous system was examined with Doppler ultrasonography to assess possible associated venous insufficiency. All patients were undergone questionnaire for frequency of delivery, age, and chronic pelvic pain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pelvic varicose veins were discovered with transabdominal ultrasound and computerized tomography in 56 of 1029 patients. Various degrees of associated lower extremity venous insufficiency were also discovered in 44 of 56 patients (78,6%) with pelvic venous dilatation. Of the 44 patients with lower extremity venous insufficiency, 21 were bilateral, 9 were right-sided, and 14 were left-sided. Endometrial thickness was significantly increased in patients with pelvic venous dilatation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of pelvic varicose veins is significantly associated with lower extremity venous insufficiency. Since the diagnosis of lower extremity venous insufficiency plays an important role in deciding the course of treatment, lower extremity Doppler ultrasonography examination would be useful to include in the evaluation of pelvic varicose veins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Yuzuncu Yil University School of Medicine, Van, Turkey.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bora
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Avcu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arslan
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Adali
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Bulut
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D059350:Chronic Pain; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000150:complications*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler / Q000379:methods; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014689:Venous Insufficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*