The economic burden of intractable gynaecological pain

SummaryChronic gynaecological pain in women of child-bearing age is a frequent complaint. A high proportion of women have chronic pelvic pain with no recognisable pathology, or pelvic pain syndrome, and this is often associated with anxiety and depression. Women may undergo a range of diagnostic assessments in addition to treatment with analgesics, antibiotics, hormones, psychotherapy and surgery. There is insufficient evidence of the effectiveness of these or other therapeutic options to enable treatment guidelines to be established (Lancet, 1991).