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Review
. 2024 Dec;47(12):1650-1668.
doi: 10.1007/s00270-024-03782-1. Epub 2024 Jul 15.

Diagnosis and Management of Pelvic Venous Disorders in Women

Neil M Khilnani  1 , Jimmy J Xia  2 , Ronald S Winokur  2 , Mark H Meissner  3
Affiliations
Review

Diagnosis and Management of Pelvic Venous Disorders in Women

Neil M Khilnani et al. Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol. 2024 Dec.

Abstract

Pelvic venous reflux and obstruction can lead to chronic pelvic pain and extra-pelvic varicosities. This paper will discuss the contemporary understanding of this pathophysiology and its clinical manifestations. It will review evidence-based clinical and imaging criteria of pelvic venous disorders, data supporting benefit from venous interventions, criticisms of the available data and highlight evidence research gaps that exist. Finally, it will argue that comparative outcomes research utilizing standardized patient selection for embolization and stenting, embolization treatment strategies that eliminate the pelvic varices (at least to start), and clinically relevant outcome measures are necessary to establish the benefit of vascular treatments.

Keywords: Chronic pelvic pain; Endovascular treatment; Lower extremity varicose veins; Pelvic congestion syndrome; Pelvic venous disorders; Vulvar varicose veins; Women’s health.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Conflict of interest: NK has disclosed research grant support from SIR Foundation, and consulting and speaker fees from Cook and Medtronic. He is the unpaid President of the American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine and Editor of Phlebology Journal. JX has nothing to disclose. RW has disclosed research grant support from SIR Foundation, and consulting and/or speaker fees from BD/Bard, Cordis, Cook, Endovascular Engineering, Inari Medical, Kalmaro Vascular, Koya, Medtronic Mentice, Penumbra, Tactile Medical and VeinWay. He is an unpaid member of the Boards of the American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine, and American Vein and Lymphatic Society MM has disclosed he an unpaid member of the Boards of the American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine, American Vein and Lymphatic Society and Foundation for Venous and Lymphatic Medicine Ethical approval: This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors. No IRB approval is required for a review paper such as the one being submitted. Consent to Publish: For this type of study, consent for publication is not required. Informed Consent: For this type of study informed consent is not required.

References

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