Biomedical subjects

Denniz Zolnoun

Publications and source records attributed to Denniz Zolnoun.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Identification of diagnostic subtypes of chronic pelvic pain and how subtypes differ in health status and trauma history.

OBJECTIVE: Our primary aim was to identify subtypes of chronic pelvic pain and to compare the cases of women with the identified subtypes on health status and trauma history. We hypothesized that women with diffuse abdominal/pelvic pain would have greater health impairment and report more lifetime trauma than women with vulvovaginal pain or cyclic pain. STUDY DESIGN: We collected questionnaire data on 289 consecutive women patients from a university chronic pelvic pain clinic. From patient records, 1 gynecologist identified chronic pelvic pain subtypes on the basis of reported symptoms and the localization of pain during examination. We used analysis of covariance with pairwise contrasts. RESULTS: Seven diagnostic subtypes were identified. Patients with diffuse abdominal/pelvic pain had more trauma and worse mental and physical health status compared with patients with vulvovaginal pain and cyclic pain. Those patients with abdominal/pelvic pain also had poorer health than patients with neuropathic and fibroid pain. Endometriosis was unrelated to health status. CONCLUSION: There is immense need for further research to define subtypes of chronic pelvic pain.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Long-term outcomes after surgical and nonsurgical management of chronic pelvic pain: one year after evaluation in a pelvic pain specialty clinic.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe long-term outcomes for women with chronic pelvic pain (CPP) after evaluation in a CPP specialty clinic. STUDY DESIGN: This was a prospective observational cohort study of women treated for CPP at the UNC Pelvic Pain clinic between 1993 and 2000. The primary outcome was improvement in pain and the main exposure was treatment group: primarily medical (pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, physical therapy, or combinations of the 3) or surgical (hysterectomy, resection or ablative procedures, oophrectomy, diagnostic surgery, pain mapping, vulvar or vestibular repair). Univariate, bivariate, and multivariable analyses were performed to look for relationships between background characteristics, treatment group, and improvement in pain. RESULTS: Of 370 participants; 189 had surgical treatment and 181 had medical treatment. One year after evaluation, 46% reported improvement in pain and 32% improvement in depression. Improvement in pain was similar in both treatment groups and odds of improvement were equal even after adjusting for background characteristics, psychosocial comorbidity, and previous treatments. CONCLUSION: One year after evaluation in a CPP specialty clinic, women experienced modest improvements in pain and depression after recommended surgical or nonsurgical treatment.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

A conceptual model for the pathophysiology of vulvar vestibulitis syndrome.

UNLABELLED: Vulvar vestibulitis syndrome (vestibulitis), the most common type of chronic vulvovaginal pain, impairs the psychologic, physical, and reproductive health of approximately 10% of women at some point in their lives. Research on the pathophysiology of vestibulitis suggests abnormalities in 3 interdependent systems: vestibular mucosa, pelvic floor muscles, and central nervous system pain regulatory pathways. To date, causes and relative contributions of these abnormalities to the development and maintenance of vestibulitis remain poorly understood. Research consistently supports the conceptualization of vestibulitis as a chronic pain disorder-akin to fibromyalgia, irritable bowel disorder, and temporomandibular disorder (TMD)-that is far more complex than vestibular hypersensitivity alone. Nevertheless, the clinical diagnosis of vestibulitis continues to rely on subjective report of pain during intercourse and vestibular sensitivity on clinical examination after exclusion of other gynecologic disorders. We propose that current diagnostic criteria, which are based on highly subjective patient and clinician measures, are not sufficient to describe and properly classify the heterogeneous clinical presentations of this disorder. To inform clinical care or research, we must be able to objectively characterize women with vestibulitis. This narrative review critically appraises current conceptualization of vestibulitis and presents a context for studying vestibulitis as a chronic pain disorder, emphasizing the need for objective assessment of clinical features. TARGET AUDIENCE: Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Family Physicians. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After completion of this article, the reader should be able to state that vulvar vestibulitis is common; recall that the disorder has three major pathophysiological pathways and that understanding of these pathways is important in selecting treatment options, and explain that the clinician must attempt to properly classify the clinical presentations of the disorder.

Female↗

PubMed2005

Teaching residents coding and documentation: effectiveness of a problem-oriented approach.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to assess the effectiveness of a problem-oriented approach to teaching residents accurate coding and documentation of ambulatory gynecology visits. STUDY DESIGN: This was a pilot before-and-after study. Nine resident volunteers underwent 4 individual instructional sessions on coding and documentation with a trained faculty member over 6 weeks. Outcomes were assessed by comparing the appropriateness of procedure and diagnostic codes billed in participant continuity clinic prior to and in the 6 to 9 months following the intervention. RESULTS: Following the intervention, participants demonstrated an increase in the accuracy of coding the correct category of the evaluation and management service, an increase in the appropriate use of modifiers, and a decline in undercoding errors. CONCLUSION: Problem-oriented interactive learning appears to be an effective method of teaching residents proper coding and documentation.

Feasibility Studies↗

PubMed2004

Obesity: physiologic changes and challenges during laparoscopy.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this report was to describe the evidence for the benefits of laparoscopic surgery in obese patients, to review the physiologic abnormalities that are associated with obesity, and to explore surgical techniques that will enable surgeons to perform laparoscopy successfully in obese patients. STUDY DESIGN: This article is a review of the available literature on obesity, the physiologic changes that occur in obese patients, and the impact of these changes on laparoscopy outcomes. RESULTS: Obesity is associated with sudden death and a wide range of morbid conditions such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, angina, chronic obstructive disease, and diabetes mellitus. Recent studies have demonstrated that obese patients who undergo laparoscopy have shorter hospital stays, less postoperative pain, and fewer wound infections when compared with obese patients who undergo laparotomy. Laparoscopy patients also have fewer postoperative ileus and fevers. CONCLUSION: With thorough preparation and careful preoperative evaluation, laparoscopy can be performed safely and is the preferred surgical method in obese patients.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMed2004

The role of laparoscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions associated with chronic pelvic pain.

Laparoscopy is a useful tool for the diagnosis and treatment of conditions associated with chronic pelvic pain. In the evaluation of chronic pelvic pain, laparoscopic techniques vary from conservative procedures, such as pain mapping, excision, and nerve ablation, to more extensive procedures like oophorectomy and hysterectomy. Although useful for diagnosis, laparoscopy continues to have a controversial role in the treatment of chronic pelvic pain.

Female↗

PubMed2004

Vaginal apex resection: a treatment option for vaginal apex pain.

OBJECTIVE: Vaginal apex pain is a subset of chronic pelvic pain commonly treated with surgical excision of the vaginal apex. Our objective was to estimate long-term postoperative pain levels, recovery time, and return to sexual function in women who have undergone vaginal apex repair for chronic vaginal apex pain. METHODS: Since 1995, 45 women have undergone vaginal apex repair at our institution. All were asked to complete a questionnaire describing pain levels, sexual function, daily activities, ability to work, and medical therapy before and after surgical repair of the vaginal apex. Demographic background, previous medical history, and surgical history were abstracted from the medical records. Fisher exact and Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used to determine associations among baseline characteristics and various outcomes. McNemar chi(2) testing was use to compare before and after pain levels. RESULTS: Twenty-seven women constituted the study sample and were available for evaluation before and after vaginal apex repair. Sixty-seven percent of respondents experienced resolution of pelvic pain after vaginal apex repair for a median of 20 months. The number of women experiencing pain with daily activities decreased from 92% before vaginal apex repair to 41% after vaginal apex repair, and 30% reported sexual activity without dyspareunia after vaginal apex repair (P = .004). Sixty-one percent of women returned to work after vaginal apex repair. Most patients required continued medical therapy after vaginal apex repair. CONCLUSION: Vaginal apex repair improves general levels of pelvic pain in some patients diagnosed with vaginal apex pain. Pain relief after vaginal apex repair is temporary, and women are likely to need continued medical therapy.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

A systematic review of the literature on female sexual dysfunction prevalence and predictors.

Interest in human sexuality began in the 18th century, but formal and more rigorous studies focused on sexual satisfaction and sexual practices were published in the early 1900s. Alfred Kinsey's pioneering work on sexuality, in which he surveyed over 10,000 men and women age 16 and older, began in the late 1930s. In the mid-1960s, Masters and Johnson published their seminal work characterizing the sexual response cycle. Since then, numerous researchers have attempted to understand and to quantify "normal" sexual behaviors using survey techniques. We conducted a systematic review of the published literature on the prevalence of female sexual dysfunction overall and, more specifically, on sexual desire disorder, arousal difficulties, anorgasmia, and dyspareunia. The review also encompassed dysfunction related to the reproductive factors, such as pregnancy, hysterectomy, and menopause. We included sexual dysfunction comorbid with diabetes, depression, and antidepressant therapies. In total, 85 studies are summarized in this review, which spans literature from the early 1900s to the present. We performed a quality assessment of each study, defining quality based on the representativeness of the population studied and the rigor of the instruments used for assessing sexual dysfunction. Although none of the 85 studies included in the review met both standards of quality, some met one criterion and not the other. Definitions of female sexual dysfunction have been developed and refined recently, but there is an urgent need to determine measurable outcomes that can be used for future work.

Depression↗