Symptoms

The main symptom of Pelvic Congestion Syndrome is the pain that lasts for more than six months in the lower abdomen and the pelvis area. The pain can also be experienced to worsen during the menstrual period, at the end of the day, during pregnancy, and while standing.

The patients suffering from this condition may feel abnormal menstrual bleeding, vaginal discharge, and irritable bladder. The varicose veins can be present in the thighs, vulva, and buttocks. There also other symptoms of Pelvic Congestion Syndrome like lower back pain, rectal discomfort depression, and lack of energy.

Diagnosis

If a patient is suffering from old chronic pelvic pain for more than six months, and other abnormalities are not there, the doctor will consider the situation as the pelvic congestion syndrome. A pelvic and transvaginal ultrasound can also be used by the doctor to detect varicose veins and Pelvic Congestion Syndrome. The Doppler ultrasound can also be used to gather more information about the patient’s venous blood flow.

During the regular pelvic exam, diagnosis cannot be very clear, as the veins which are affected are not visible when the patient is lying down. If the ultrasound is done when the patient is standing, it will make the veins more visible, and the doctor will be able to diagnose the condition easily. For the proper diagnosis of the pelvic congestion syndrome, and evaluation of the extent of the condition, it would be good to perform MR venography as it depicts the entire venous anatomy.

Therefore, the easiest, clearest, and accurate method to diagnose this condition will be pelvic venography.

In order to perform pelvic venography, the interventional radiologist will insert a catheter in the vein of the groin by using the guidance of fluoroscopy. The radiologist will lead the catheter into the dilated pelvic veins and then inject a contrast dye directly into the veins to make them more clear during the X-ray.

Treatment

If the pain is too much during Pelvic Congestion Syndrome, the doctor will prescribe the patient with painkillers to reduce the pain, which is associated with this condition. Hormonal medication can also be used to reduce congestion and pain.

If any of these options are not working for the patient, the Pelvic Congestion Syndrome can also be treated via embolization. Embolization is a minimally invasive treatment method. In this process, the interventional radiologist will perform the pelvic venography of the patient at fits. Next, small coils are inserted to block the varicose veins. The radiologist will insert particles of sclerotic agents into the target area of varicose veins. General anesthesia is not necessary for this process, and the process is also on an out-patient basis. People can return to their life immediately once the treatment process is completed.

In rare cases, when none of the options mentioned above are working to treat the Pelvic Congestion Syndrome, the doctor will resort to surgical vein removal and hysterectomy as essential treatment plans.

Dr Nikolas Charalambous is named among the most prominent interventional radiologist. Get a free consultation for a minimally invasive treatment of brain, neck, and spine.