TERMINOLOGY FOR V. PAIN SYNDROME

[Guest guest]

HI all,

I hope you find this interesting since so many of us want a 'name' for our condition and I can tell you in the early years with myself I've had many different names (diagnosis) given, two different ones in one day even. So don't necessarily drive yourself crazy looking for an exact name (tho it is our nature *smile) A Rose by any name is still a Rose (and has thorns) *smile*

Now if only all the doctors read this same paper and could agree. *Sigh*

Dee~

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(From Pub Med)

Harefuah. 2006 Mar;145(3):215-8, 244.

Vulvar pain syndrome (vulvodynia)--dilemmas in terminology

[Article in Hebrew]

Tuma R. Bornstein J.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Western Galilee Hospitalm, Nahariya, The Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa.

BACKGROUND: In recent years there has been increasing awareness of chronic vulvar pain, both in the medical and lay communities. The etiology of vulvar pain is largely unknown. Furthermore, there is no worldwide consensus regarding the terminology and classification of this condition, which makes it difficult to compare the results of different treatments.

In 2003, following more than three decades of uncertainty, the terminology and classification of vulvar pain was re-established.

AIM:

To review the development of nomenclature for vulvar pain and the increasing understanding of its pathophysiology.

METHODS:

A literature review was conducted of articles related to the nomenclature of vulvar pain and vulvar diseases, and a summary of the world congresses of the International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease (ISSVD) from 1976 until 2003.

RESULTS:

In 1976, members of the ISSVD recognized vulvar pain as a unique entity, and called it burning vulva syndrome.

In 1985, the ISSVD renamed this disorder "Vulvodynia" and classified it into two clinically distinctive subsets: dysesthetic vulvodynia and vestibulitis.

However, recent studies failed to confirm an inflammatory pathogenesis, and the term vestibulitis was replaced by the term vestibulodynia at the 1999 ISSVD congress.

(Comment* since 'itis' in the word 'vestibul'itis' means inflammatory, Dee T)

In 2003, the ISSVD again reviewed the terminology and used the term vulvodynia, which is further classified as either generalized or localized, and by the presence or absence of stimulus for pain.

CONCLUSIONS:

The re-establishment of the ISSVD terminology and classification in 2003 will help physicians and researchers improve the understanding of chronic idiopathic vulvar pain, and develop effective treatments.

PMID: 16599320 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

source:

[Guest guest]

<< " In 1985, the ISSVD renamed this disorder " Vulvodynia " and

classified it into two clinically distinctive subsets: dysesthetic

vulvodynia and vestibulitis.

>

> However, recent studies failed to confirm an inflammatory

pathogenesis, and the term vestibulitis was replaced by the term

vestibulodynia at the 1999 ISSVD congress.

>

> (Comment* since 'itis' in the word 'vestibul'itis' means

inflammatory, Dee T)

>

> In 2003, the ISSVD again reviewed the terminology and used the term

vulvodynia, which is further classified as either generalized or

localized, and by the presence or absence of stimulus for pain. " >>

Hi Dee,

A subject close to my heart which I have never brought up in these

forums, thinking that I will get too many negative comments! As I am

quite involved in campaigning for vulval pain in the UK, it has been

important to me to know what the correct terminology is so that we can

all be sure that we are talking about the same thing. We have been

using the term 'vestibulodynia' for years, but there are still many

(esp. health professionals) who use 'vestibulitis' instead. We tend to

follow the ISSVD and last time I looked, they had a lovely info

leaflet on their website. It looks as tho we will be moving away from

this into localised and generalised...?

Thanks for posting this - I am sure there will be some resistance and

so on and so forth, but if the doctors who are leading the way in

terms of trials and studies and treatment protocols are using these

terms, we should probably do so as well. I am aware that there are any

number of current and recent studies by doctors that still use the old

terminology, so ladies, please don't send me examples ;-0

I think most health professionals are likely to be too busy to read

every scrap of info that comes their way and I am sure that this has

just passed many of them right by. All I do is explain that there is a

new term for some things and what they are now called. (Plant and

animal classifications can and do also change as scientists learn more

about them, so I think it's just the way things develop)

Kay