Browsing by keyword "Ovarian Diseases"

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    • Differences in symptoms between patients with benign and malignant ovarian neoplasms
      Attanucci, Cara A.; Ball, Harrison G. III; Zweizig, Susan L.; Chen, Annette H. (2004-05-01)
      OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the symptoms that are experienced by patients who receive a diagnosis of early ovarian cancer and to compare those symptoms with the symptoms that are experienced by patients with late ovarian cancer, borderline ovarian cancer, and benign ovarian neoplasms. STUDY DESIGN: This study used a retrospective case-control design. Cases of invasive and borderline ovarian cancer (n=147 patients) were compared with 76 patients with benign ovarian neoplasms. RESULTS: Patients with early ovarian cancer were significantly more likely to have symptoms of mass effect (urinary frequency, constipation, palpable mass, pelvic pressure) compared with patients with benign ovarian neoplasms (67% vs 15%; P <.001), late stage disease (67% vs 40%; P =.008), and borderline cancer (67% vs 33%; P =.007). CONCLUSION: Mass effect symptoms were the only symptoms that differentiated patients with early-stage ovarian cancer from all other groups of patients. However, one third of the patients with early ovarian cancer did not report any of these symptoms.

    • Neuropathic uterine pain after hysterectomy. A case report
      Chavez, Norma F.; Zweizig, Susan L.; Stewart, Elizabeth A. (2003-07-15)
      BACKGROUND: Neuropathic pain arises when there is damage to or dysfunction of the nervous system. Diabetic neuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia and phantom limb pain are common types of neuropathic pain. It is not commonly recognized in gynecologic practice. CASE: A patient underwent a hysterectomy for a tuboovarian abscess and underlying endometriosis. Despite maximal dosing with conventional pain medications, she continued to have significant pain that had not been present following prior surgeries. Use of low-dose amitriptyline successfully treated the pain, with no sequelae. CONCLUSION: Persistent pain following gynecologic surgery that does not respond to conventional therapy may have a neuropathic origin. Attention to appropriate history and physical examination may lead to an increase in the diagnosis of neuropathic pain in gynecology patients. This may have implications for persistent pain in other gynecologic diseases.