title: Intermenstrual pelvic pain, quality of life and mood.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the independent importance of different types of pelvic pain on quality of life and depressive symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was performed on patients with pelvic pain. A 10-cm visual-analogue scale (VAS) was used to investigate intensity of intermenstrual pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea or deep dyspareunia. The SF-36 form and the Zung Self-Rating Scale for Depression (SDS) were used to investigate quality of life and depressive symptoms, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The final study group consisted of 248 patients, 175/248 (70.6%) with intermenstrual pelvic pain, 46/248 (18.5%) with dysmenorrhea and 27/248 (10.9%) with deep dyspareunia associated or not with dysmenorrhea. Mean VAS score for dysmenorrhea was higher than that for deep dyspareunia (p < 0.003) and intermenstrual pelvic pain (p < 0.0001). Women with intermenstrual pelvic pain had the worst SF-36 (p < 0.0001) and SDS (p < 0.002) scores. SF-36 was independently and inversely related to intermenstrual pelvic pain (CR -1.522; 95% CI -2.188 to -0.856; p < 0.0001), and less strongly to dysmenorrhea (CR -0.729; 95% CI -1.487 to 0.030; p = 0.06). Indeed, only the physical component summary of SF-36 was independently related to dysmenorrhea (CR -0.956; 95% CI -1.783 to -0.129; p = 0.024). The SDS score was independently related only to intermenstrual pelvic pain (CR 0.573; 95% CI 0.241-0.904; p = 0.0008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with intermenstrual pelvic pain have the worst SF-36 and SDS scores. Intermenstrual pelvic pain seems to be more strongly associated with a reduced quality of life and depressive mood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico of Modena, Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grandi
authors.forename: Anjeza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Xholli
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cannoletta
authors.forename: Annibale
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Volpe
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cagnacci
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology*; D004412:Dysmenorrhea / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D004414:Dyspareunia / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008599:Menstruation Disturbances / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult