title: Abdominal Wall Pain in Women With Chronic Pelvic Pain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the role of abdominal wall pain (AWP) in women with pelvic pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective review of consecutive patients with pelvic pain seen in a tertiary referral centre between January and December 2012. AWP was defined as abdominal wall tenderness with a positive Carnett test (i.e., tenderness that worsened or remained the same with abdominal wall contraction). Pairwise comparisons were carried out between clinical variables (e.g., chronic pelvic pain) and AWP. This was followed by multiple logistic regression to identify the clinical variables with an independent association with AWP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of AWP in women with pelvic pain was 67% (127/190). On multiple logistic regression, AWP was independently associated with chronic pelvic pain (OR 13.8; 95% CI 3.71 to 51.2, P < 0.001), but not with other symptoms including dysmenorrhea, deep and superficial dyspareunia, or bowel and bladder symptomology. In a corollary analysis, women with AWP were more likely to require opioids or pain adjuvants than women without AWP (P = 0.015 and P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AWP is common in women with pelvic pain and may contribute specifically to the symptom of chronic pelvic pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC.
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mui
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC; Women's Centre for Pelvic Pain and Endometriosis, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Allaire
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC; Women's Centre for Pelvic Pain and Endometriosis, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC; Women's Centre for Pelvic Pain and Endometriosis, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC.
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Yong
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D034861:Abdominal Wall; D000328:Adult; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004412:Dysmenorrhea; D004414:Dyspareunia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Abdominal wall pain; chronic pelvic pain; endometriosis; trigger point