Laparoscopy in 100 women with chronic pelvic pain

Laparoscopy was used to evaluate 100 women who consistently reported pelvic pain in the same location for a minimum of six months. These findings were compared with those of 50 asymptomatic women who underwent laparoscopy for tubal ligation. Overall, 83% of the group with pelvic pain had abnormal pelvic organs as compared with 29% of the asymptomatic group. Adhesions were the most common pathology accounting for 38% and pelvic endometriosis accounted for 32% of the symptomatic group. Results of this study suggest that pelvic pain reported to be in the same location for a minimum of six months, is usually associated with organic pathology.