Andrea J. Rapkin

BACKGROUND: Limited data are available to establish evidence-based management protocols for vestibulodynia (VBD), a chronic vulvar pain condition that affects approximately 14 million women in the U.S. For the purposes of the study, our gro…

In Reply We respectfully disagree with Ms Mardon and colleagues that our Review1 on CPP in women was not extensive. We reviewed thousands of articles and the guidelines available in print at the time of our publication.

IMPORTANCE: Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is a challenging condition that affects an estimated 26% of the world's female population. Chronic pelvic pain accounts for 40% of laparoscopies and 12% of hysterectomies in the US annually even though …

Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is a chronic pain disorder characterized by local hypersensitivity and severe pain with pressure localized to the vulvar vestibule. Despite decades of study, the lack of identified biomarkers has slowed the dev…

Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is a chronic vulvar pain disorder characterized by hypersensitivity and severe pain with pressure localized to the vulvar vestibule. Knowledge regarding pathophysiological mechanisms contributing to the etiolog…

PURPOSE: Primary dysmenorrhea (PD; menstrual pain without an identified organic cause) has been proposed as a possible risk factor for the development of chronic pelvic pain, but the mechanism through which this process occurs is unknown. O…

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) affecting up to 7% of reproductive age women. Women with PMDD are of reproductive age; therefore, contraception and treatment of PMDD are important consi…

Primary dysmenorrhea (PD; menstrual pain without an underlying medical condition) is associated with enhanced pain sensitivity and temporal summation (TS) in adult women, which may reflect the presence of central pain processes. Research in…

Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) has been the focus of a number of experimental pain studies. Although a number of reviews exist, few have critically evaluated the existing body of research on PD and experimental and procedural pain. Data from 19 …

Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) affects up to 20% of reproductive aged women.1 Endometriosis is the most common reproductive system diagnosis in women who undergo investigation for CPP. Endometriosis is a chronic disease that is difficult to comp…

This chapter reviews the pelvic anatomy, differential diagnosis, and management, including the role of multidisciplinary assessment and treatment of chronic pelvic pain (CPP). Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is pelvic pain that has persisted for …

In women, clinical studies suggest that pain syndromes such as irritable bowel syndrome and interstitial cystitis, which are associated with visceral hyperalgesia, are often comorbid with endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain. One of the po…

No AccessJournal of UrologyAdult urology1 Feb 2006The Pains of Endometriosis K.J. Berkley, A.J. Rapkin, and R.E. Papka K.J. BerkleyK.J. Berkley More articles by this author , A.J. RapkinA.J. Rapkin More articles by this author , and R.E. Pa…

Chronic pelvic pain is, by definition, pain that persists for more than 6 months. In its various forms, chronic pelvic pain affects an estimated 12 to 15% of women in the United States, accounting for more than $881 million spent each year …

Endometriosis is a disease defined by the presence of endometrial tissue outside of the uterus. Severe pelvic pain is often associated with endometriosis, and this pain can be diminished with therapies that suppress estrogen production. Man…

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between peritoneal fluid concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and chronic pelvic pain symptomatology in women with adhesions, endometriosis, or no obvious intraperitoneal pathology. DESIGN: Clinic…

Products of the cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways of arachidonic acid metabolism were estimated in the cul-de-sac fluid from patients with endometriosis, pelvic adhesions and normal laparoscopic examinations, with and without chronic…