Interventional Radiology Treatments to Address Chronic Pelvic Pain in Females.

BACKGROUND

Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) affects about one in four women globally and has a variety of etiologies, including gynecologic causes. Interventional radiology (IR) offers minimally invasive treatment options for several of these etiologies.

PURPOSE

This review provides an overview of IR interventions for treating gynecologic causes of CPP, including fibroids, adenomyosis, pelvic venous disease (PeVD), endometriosis, and peritoneal inclusion cysts (PICs).

METHODS

A narrative review was conducted on IR techniques for managing gynecologic causes of CPP, with emphasis on procedural applications, clinical presentation, and diagnostic approaches.

RESULTS

Uterine artery embolization (UAE) has shown effectiveness in treating fibroids and is increasingly applied for adenomyosis, while gonadal vein embolization is effective for managing PeVD. Emerging IR techniques show promise for treating endometriosis and PICs. This review discusses patient presentation, diagnostic evaluation, and procedural details unique to each condition.

CONCLUSION

As IR options for CPP expand, a comprehensive understanding of the clinical and procedural nuances can broaden the scope of effective treatment options.