Imaging of Acute Pelvic Pain: Nonpregnant

Jeffrey Dee Olpin; Loretta Strachowski

doi:10.1016/j.rcl.2019.11.002

Imaging of Acute Pelvic Pain: Nonpregnant

Radiol Clin North Am. 2020 Mar;58(2):329-345. doi: 10.1016/j.rcl.2019.11.002.

Authors

Jeffrey Dee Olpin¹, Loretta Strachowski²

Affiliations

¹ University of Utah Health Sciences Center, 30 North 1900 East #1A71, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA. Electronic address: Jeffrey.olpin@hsc.utah.edu.
² University of California, San Francisco, 1001 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA.

PMID: 32044010
DOI: 10.1016/j.rcl.2019.11.002

Abstract

Acute pelvic pain in the nonpregnant woman is one of the most common conditions requiring emergent medical evaluation in routine clinical practice. Although clinical evaluation and laboratory testing are essential, imaging plays a central role. Although various adnexal and uterine disorders may result in acute pelvic pain of gynecologic origin, other nongynecologic disorders of the gastrointestinal and genitourinary systems may likewise result in acute pelvic pain. Ultrasound is first choice for initial evaluation of acute pelvic pain of gynecologic origin. Computed tomography is performed if pelvic sonography is inconclusive, or if a suspected disorder is nongynecologic in origin.

Keywords: Computed tomography; Female; Magnetic resonance; Nonpregnant; Pelvic pain; Premenopause; Ultrasound.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Acute Pain / diagnostic imaging*
Female
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
Pelvic Pain / diagnostic imaging*
Pelvis / diagnostic imaging
Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods*
Ultrasonography / methods*