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Pelvic venous congestion syndrome from which 30~40% of patients with chronic pelvic pain suffer -Treated right with embolization that occludes congested vein twice.

Pelvic venous congestion syndrome
Cause of pelvic pain is resolved with collaboration of radiologist, gynecologist, and internists.

What is pelvic venous congestion syndrome?

Disease that must be suspected at least once
in case of chronic pelvic pain lasting over 6 months

  • If you are experiencing dullness in lower abdomen and sharp pain without clear reason despite that you are not on period?

    Do your know pelvic venous congestion syndrome, women’s malady? It is when there is irregular pain in waist, back, lower abdomen, pelvic, and genital without clear reason that lasts over 6 months. I t is common in women in 30~40s, and more than 1 out of 3 patients visiting gynecologists suffer such pelvic pain. Chronic pelvic pain is quite difficult to precisely pinpoint the area of pain, so it can be mistaken for other diseases. It also has various causes. It cannot be defined with a couple of words, so it can be difficult to have correct diagnosis even if you visit hospital.

Common causes of chronic pelvic pain

30~40%
by pelvic venous congestion syndrome

40%
by endometriosis

Other diseases


  • 40% by endometriosis

    • Gynecologic disease caused by endometrial tissue that grows outside uterus. It accompanies severe dysmenorrhea.

  • 30~40% by pelvic venous congestion syndrome

    • It is a vascular disease with congestion of blood in pelvis due to valve insufficiency in ovarian vein. In Europe, pelvic venous congestion syndrome(Taylor’s syndrome) is a common disease in patients with pelvic pain, as it signifies chronic pelvic pain.

  • Other diseases

    • Pelvic inflammatory disease, uterine myoma, irritable bowel syndrome
    • Pelvic adhesion after pelvic · abdominal surgery
    • Digestion · Genitourinary · musculoskeletal system
    • Mental disorders including stress and depression

  • Mental disorders including stress and depression

    Pelvic venous congestion syndrome is the collection of symptoms by blood congestion (blood accumulation) within the pelvis. Like the varicose vein in the leg, it is a varix that develops in pelvis and is also called as pelvic varices or ovarian varices. Mostly, patient experience lower abdomen pain, and sporadic pain in the waist. As the pain extends comparatively far at abdomen, pelvis, or buttocks and features various character, so it can be easily confused with neurological disease, female disease, digestive disease, and waist disease.

    Generally, 30~40% in the patient with chronic pelvic pain has pelvic venous congestion syndrome as well. Besides, there are risk of simultaneous varicose vein, groin varices, and hip varices.

Cause of pelvic venous congestion syndrome

Risk factors for pelvic venous congestion syndrome

  • Women in 20~50s with history of 2 or more pregnancy·labor

    Uterus enlarged by pregnancy presses surrounding vein, deteriorating function of valves, and risk of pelvic congestion syndrome increases.

  • Hormone therapy

    Female hormone itself dilates blood vessels

  • Pelvic surgery

    Intrapelvic inflammation and adhesion can be the cause

  • Congenital factor

    Congenital valve malfunction in ovarian vein, genetic disorder, and hormonal malfunction can be the cause.

  • Ovary·uterus disease

    gynecologic disorders like uterine myoma, polycystic ovary can be the cause


  • The more experience you have in pregnancy and child-labor, higher the risk is.

    Do you feel unexplainable lower back pain or pelvic pain after giving birth to 3 or more children? Aren’t you just enduring pain, blaming yourself for not taking care of yourself after the labor?

    In this case, it is most likely that pelvic venous congestion syndrome is the cause. It is because vein inside the pelvis gets loose after repeated pregnancy and receives high pressure during pregnancy.
    Such damaged vein can ㅅdisturb blood circulation, cause various pain, and threat your daily life if severe. You must take it seriously, and be seen by a doctor.

Symptoms of pelvic venous congestion syndrome

  • 01

    The dull, heavy pain in the pelvis lasts for over 6 months.

    When you are standing or sitting for a long time, blood is collected within the pelvis, which induces pain in lower abdomen, tearing pain in the side, and genital pain. It is most severe in the evening, and after a good sleep or lying down, it gets better. Such pain deteriorates after time, and it can worsen the pain to the point of making it difficult to walk along with leg numbness or constriction.

  • 02

    Palpable blood vessel bulging like noodle in inner thigh, hip, and groin.

    Pelvic venous congestion syndrome is a variceal disease. Varices, as a vascular disease, have a high risk of developing sporadically or simultaneously all over lower limb where vein passes through.

  • 03

    More severe pain before menstruation or after sexual intercourse

    The pain increases with blood collecting more inside the pelvis.

  • 04

    Frequent visit to bathroom, urinary retention, and frequent cystitis

    Venous blood congestion can press the bladder within pelvis to induce frequent urge to urinate or dysuria.

  • 05

    Haver uterus·ovary-related diseases. Has vaginitis frequently

    Uterine myoma, endometriosis, dysmenorrhea, abnormal uterine bleeding, irregular menstruation, and increased vaginal discharge are common causes.


!MINT’NOTE

Feeling pain near pelvis? The origin of pain and the lesion may be different.


  • Visceral part of our body has less nerve than skin, making it more insensitive than you expect. If your skin hurts, you can find the origin easily, but pain can arise anywhere in pelvis or abdomen regardless of its origin. Therefore, vascular diseases like pelvic venous congestion syndrome requires accurate diagnosis of specialist.

Diagnosis of pelvic venous congestion syndrome

  • Specialist

    Consultation with specialist is the most basic process of understanding the disease. It can check character and intensity of pain, past and current history, pregnancy and labor, and other noticeable symptoms during menstruation and identify any mental factors including stress and depression.


  • Infrared body temperature test / Vascular function test

    It is an additional test that can be performed to examine pelvic congestion and location of the lesion, based on its necessity. Infrared body temperature test presents temperature in color, showing body temperature risen by congestion in red.

  • Doppler’s ultrasound

    It is a basic extensive test to examine other causes of pain within pelvis. It identifies any abnormality in pelvic organs like uterus, ovary, and fallopian tube, and shows shape and contraction of uterine muscles. Especially, it can identify any circulatory abnormalities like venous distension or regurgitation that general gynecologic ultrasound can’t find.


  • Pelvic MRI / MRI angiography

    It is a test that can blood flow and vascular distribution in major pelvic organs in detail. It can also look for other causes like uterine myoma and endometriosis.


  • Angiography

    It is the most accurate method to diagnose pelvic venous congestion syndrome. After local anesthesia, a thin tube(catheter) is inserted to the vein in upper arm. After reaching ovarian vein within the blood v essel, contrast is inserted with catheter and vascular distribution in the pelvis is imaged with X-ray. Generally, it is conducted alongside the treatment for congestive syndrome.


  • Experienced medical staff and precision medical device aloows fast, accurate diagnosis.


!MINT’NOTE

What’s so different about MINT hospital’s pelvic venous congestion syndrome diagnosis?


  • Chronic pelvic pain can accompanied by various gynecologic diseases beside pelvic venous congestion syndrome.
    Therefore, interdisciplinary diagnosis between gynecologist and radiologist must be accomplished without excluding the possibility of other various diseases.
    Also, we at MINT hospital Varix Center conducts a sophisticated pelvic examination in collaboration with gynecologic center.
    Also, we are performing the tests with only imaging devices wtihout physical examination to minimize patient’s discomfort.

Pelvic venous congestion syndrome embolization

It blocks the vein with congestion with sclerotic agent and platinum coil to occlude vein.

Once the stagnated blood is distributed evenly to surrounding vein, venous circulation returns to normal and symptoms improve. It conducts test and treatment at the same time while examining the troublesome area with angiography. Pelvic venous congestion syndrome embolization has success rate of about 99% and recurrence rate of 8% or less.
The symptoms have improved in 82~96% of the patients who had surgery.

It leaves almost no pain after the procedure, and the patient can return to daily life on the day she had the procedure.
It leaves almost no scar unlike surgery and the procedure is short, about 30 minutes.
It is performed by intervention radiologist with excellent image reading skill and procedure skill in a hospital with angiography.



    • 11. 2mm invasion with injection needle after local anesthesia in groin
    • 2Catheter inserted intravenously and the entry to the congestive vein.
    • 3Consequential insertion of sclerotic agent and platinum coil into the regurgitating vein to block blood flow.
    • 4
      Improvement of symptoms as congestive blood flow evenly through surrounding veins.

      ※ Total procedure duration : within 30 minutes.


  • Procedure duration
    30 minutes
  • No general
    anesthesia and pain
  • No incision
    with knife
  • Symptom improvement in 82~96% after the procedure
  • Immediate
    return to daily life after the procedure
  • Safe for elderly

Actual cases of Pelvic venous
congestion syndrome embolization

  • Before the procedure

    Congestion (bulging) with dilated ovarian vein is confirmed

  • During the procedure

    Platinum coil with more adhesive power than general coin is inserted and then it is hardened with sclerotic agent.
    The vein with arrow is occluded and blood flow is diminished.

  • After the procedure

    Emblozation agent is inserted to the vein in the other side for occlusion.
    Congestive symptoms in pelvis disappear and blood circulates well, improving the symptoms.

Opening Hours

  • Weekdays
    AM 8:30 - PM 5:30
  • Saturday
    AM 9:00 - PM 1:00
    service without lunch time
  • lunch time
    PM 12:30 - PM 1:30

Closed on Sunday & National Holidays.
Opening hours can vary for each medical staff, so please confirm before visiting our hospital

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