Pelvic pain--pelvic congestion or the irritable bowel syndrome?

Chronic unexplained pelvic pain in women may arise from either gynaecological or colonic causes. 35 women with pelvic congestion were interviewed with regard to their bowel habits and compared with a population with the irritable bowel syndrome. The results suggest that pelvic congestion and the irritable bowel syndrome are two distinctly different conditions, both of which may cause chronic lower abdominal pain in women.