Improvement in chronic pelvic pain after gonadotropin releasing hormone analogue (GnRH-a) administration in premenopausal women suffering from adenomyosis or endometriosis: a retrospective study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the improvement in catamenial chronic pelvic pain (CPP) after Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone analogue (GnRH-a) administration in women affected by adenomyosis or endometriosis. We retrospectively analysed clinical data of 63 premenopausal women with clinical suspect of adenomyosis (15 women, Group A) or endometriosis (48 women, Group B), which received GnRH-a in order to reduce CPP intensity during the time on surgery waiting list. Main outcome measures were variation of CPP intensity, numbers of days requiring analgesics and lost work productivity before and three months after GnRH-a administration. Compared to baseline, a significant decrease in CPP intensity (p < 0.05) was observed in both groups, even if this reduction was significantly higher in Group A than in Group B (p < 0.001). In both groups, moreover, a significant reduction in number of days requiring analgesics (p < 0.05) and lost work productivity (p < 0.05) was detected. In conclusion, GnRH-a administration in women with clinical suspect of adenomyosis induces a greater reduction in CPP when compared to women with endometriosis, thus representing a potential ex adiuvantibus criteria, helping TV-US in the clinical diagnosis of adenomyosis.