Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic perspectives in vulvodynia: From current evidence to future investigations.
Vulvodynia is defined as chronic vulvar pain persisting for at least 3 months without a clear identifiable cause. It affects 10%-16% of women, and despite its high prevalence and the severity of symptoms, vulvodynia remains significantly understudied. Here, we consolidate and analyze the scientific…
Topical resiniferatoxin for the treatment of vestibulodynia: a prospective observational trial.
Vestibulodynia is the most common subtype of vulvodynia and is characterized by persitent, contact-evoked pain localized to the vulvar vestibule. Increasing evidence supports a neuropathic pain mechanism in vestibulodynia, including vestibular hyperinnervation, neuroinflammation, and overexpression…
Tampon test measurement properties in women with provoked vestibulodynia: baseline data from a pragmatic randomized clinical trial.
Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is a common cause of dyspareunia in young women. Because intercourse-related pain cannot be assessed consistently in all affected women, the tampon test (TT) is often used as a standardized proxy for insertional pain. This study aimed to evaluate within-person variabili…
Digital Interventions for Female Sexual Pain Disorders: A Systematic Review with Evidence Mapping and Limited Quantitative Synthesis.
Digital interventions for female sexual pain disorders, including genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder (GPPPD)/vaginismus and vulvodynia/vestibulodynia, may help address persistent barriers to specialist care. In this systematic review with evidence mapping and limited quantitative synthesis, we…
Narratives on Sexuality in Vulvodynia and Endometriosis: A Qualitative Study on Italian Couples.
Although qualitative research on dyspareunia has increased in recent years, most studies have focused on women's individual experiences or on specific difficulties within the couple, leaving underexplored how partners jointly construct the meanings of sexuality when pain becomes part of the relation…
Body image concerns in individuals with endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain conditions: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Body image disturbance is a commonly experienced psychological impact of endometriosis and other chronic pelvic pain (CPP) conditions (e.g., vulvodynia). This systematic review and meta-analysis of quantitative literature aimed to describe the prevalence of body image concerns in endometriosis and o…
Catecholamine-mediated release of miR-133a-3p from adipocytes regulates the onset of chronic primary pain.
Chronic primary pain conditions (CPPCs), such as fibromyalgia and vestibulodynia, affect over 100 million Americans, predominantly women, and pose a substantial healthcare challenge. CPPCs arise from genetic and environmental factors that enhance catecholamine tone, potentially through miRNA dysregu…
Assessment and management of dyspareunia in peri- and postmenopausal women: A phenotype-based gynecologic approach.
Dyspareunia in peri- and postmenopausal women is common, clinically consequential, and often undertreated in gynecologic practice. Although genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) is a frequent contributor, intercourse-related pain may also reflect vestibular, pelvic floor, dermatologic, inflammat…