The proportion of women with central sensitivity syndrome in gynecology outpatient clinics (GOPDs)

Introduction and hypothesis Patients in gynecology outpatient clinics (GOPDs) may present with symptoms that do not correlate well with the observed pathology and are usually labelled as having a functional disorder or medically unexplained symptoms (MUS). Underlying central sensitivity syndrome (CS...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:International Urogynecology Journal 2019-03, Vol.30 (3), p.483-488
Main Authors: Vij, Monika, Davies, Anthony, Dua, Anu, Freeman, Robert
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ambulatory Care
Anxiety - epidemiology
Central Nervous System Sensitization
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Comorbidity
Depression - epidemiology
Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic - epidemiology
Female
Fibromyalgia - epidemiology
Genital Diseases, Female - epidemiology
Gynecology
Humans
Irritable bowel syndrome
Irritable Bowel Syndrome - epidemiology
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Migraine Disorders - epidemiology
Nervous System Diseases - epidemiology
Original Article
Pelvic Organ Prolapse - epidemiology
Prevalence
Prospective Studies
Scotland - epidemiology
Syndrome
Urology
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Introduction and hypothesis Patients in gynecology outpatient clinics (GOPDs) may present with symptoms that do not correlate well with the observed pathology and are usually labelled as having a functional disorder or medically unexplained symptoms (MUS). Underlying central sensitivity syndrome (CSS) with central sensitization (CS) as a potential mechanism may be responsible for some of their symptoms. The aim of this study is to identify the proportion of women with central sensitivity syndrome attending GOPDs. Methods This was a prospective study. All women attending a GOPD included in the study were asked to complete a validated Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI). The responses were graded on a Likert scale from 0 (never) to 4 (always). The total score ranges from 0 to 100. For screening purposes, a single CSI cutoff score of 40 was used to identify the group of women who may have central sensitization syndrome. Results Three hundred twenty-six women participated in the study. Overall, 123 (37%) women achieved a score above 40. This could be interpreted as these patients having increased risk of underlying central sensitization. Of these, 43 had a previously confirmed diagnosis of migraine, 55 (44%) depression, 39 (31.7%) anxiety, 11 fibromyalgia (FM), 34 irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and 16 chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME). Conclusions Managing patients and their expectations in gynecological outpatient departments when symptoms are inconsistent with observable pathological findings is challenging. This is further complicated when patients have a concomitant central sensitivity syndrome, which can also influence the surgical outcome. Identifying these patients is a key factor for appropriate management.
ISSN:0937-3462
1433-3023
DOI:10.1007/s00192-018-3709-0