Pelvic and Bladder Pain Can Be Caused by Abnormal Veins in the Pelvis
One of the more surprising patients we worked with was a patient who had, for years, tried bladder therapies and pelvic floor physical therapy with no improvement. A pelvic pain specialist, however, discovered that she had pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS), very large varicose veins in her pelvis that were literally wrapping around her bladder. Pelvic congestion syndrome can occur when the valves in the veins no longer function normally which causes the blood to back up. Veins then become swollen and potentially painful. Treatments include both hormonal therapies and embolization of the problematic veins.
Helpful Links
- A forgotten disease: pelvic congestion syndrome as a cause of chronic lower abdominal pain.
- Pelvic Congestion Syndrome