Evaluating Vulvodynia – Making the Diagnosis and Key Points

Learning Objectives and CME/Disclosure Information

This activity is intended for healthcare providers delivering care to women and their families.

After completing this activity, the participant should be better able to:

1. Relate the key elements of the physical exam needed to make a diagnosis of vulvodynia
2. Restate some of the treatment options available for vulvodynia

Estimated time to complete activity: 0.25 hours

Faculty:

Susan J. Gross, MD, FRCSC, FACOG, FACMG
President and CEO, The ObG Project

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

Postgraduate Institute for Medicine (PIM) requires instructors, planners, managers and other individuals who are in a position to control the content of this activity to disclose any real or apparent conflict of interest (COI) they may have as related to the content of this activity. All identified COI are thoroughly vetted and resolved according to PIM policy. PIM is committed to providing its learners with high quality CME activities and related materials that promote improvements or quality in healthcare and not a specific proprietary business interest of a commercial interest.

Faculty: Susan J. Gross, MD, receives consulting fees from Genoox, Inc., and has financial interest in The ObG Project, Inc.

Planners and Managers: The PIM planners and managers, Trace Hutchison, PharmD, Samantha Mattiucci, PharmD, CHCP, Judi Smelker-Mitchek, MBA, MSN, RN, and Jan Schultz, MSN, RN, CHCP have nothing to disclose.

Method of Participation and Request for Credit

Fees for participating and receiving CME credit for this activity are as posted on The ObG Project website. During the period from Dec 31 2017 through Dec 31 2020, participants must read the learning objectives and faculty disclosures and study the educational activity.

If you wish to receive acknowledgment for completing this activity, please complete the post-test and evaluation. Upon registering and successfully completing the post-test with a score of 100% and the activity evaluation, your certificate will be made available immediately.

For Pharmacists: Upon successfully completing the post-test with a score of 100% and the activity evaluation form, transcript information will be sent to the NABP CPE Monitor Service within 4 weeks.

Joint Accreditation Statement

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine and The ObG Project. Postgraduate Institute for Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Physician Continuing Medical Education

Postgraduate Institute for Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum of 0.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Continuing Nursing Education

The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Nursing Education activity is 0.2 contact hours.

Designated for 0.1 contact hours of pharmacotherapy credit for Advance Practice Registered Nurses.

Read Disclaimer & Fine Print

CLINICAL ACTIONS:

Vulvar pain is a symptom and not a diagnosis. If symptoms persist for a minimum of three months and no other pathology can be identified, consider the diagnosis of vulvodynia.

Obtain a history and physical to determine other causes of vulvar pain such as infection (e.g., candidiasis), inflammation (e.g, lichen planus), trauma, hormonal deficiency or iatrogenic (radiation induced)
On physical examination, determine the location of the pain (see ACOG Committee Opinion in ‘Learn More – Primary Sources’ for illustrations on anatomy and how to perform the following test)
- Using a Q-tip on the vestibule, press on the vulva to determine which locations illicit a pain response
- To determine a baseline, place significant pressure on labia majora, interlabia sulci and labia minora
- Touch, using the Q-tip, lateral and medial to Hart’s line
- If sensitive to touch medial to Hart’s line a diagnosis of vestibulodynia can be established

Classification

Is there a specific site
- Localized (e.g. vestibulodynia) | Generalized | Mixed
Is there a triggering event
- Provoked (e.g., insertional) | Spontaneous | Mixed
Temporal pattern
- Intermittent | Persistent | Constant | Immediate | Delayed
Onset
- Primary | Secondary

SYNOPSIS:

Symptoms may include burning, stinging, itching and may be constant or only upon contact (provoked). When the pain is primarily localized to the vestibule, the term vestibulodynia can be used. With respect to timing, pain can be persistent or cyclical. Most cases of vulvodynia can be treated hormonally or through pelvic floor physiotherapy. In the most extreme cases of vestibulodynia, rarely a vestibulectomy may be indicated.

KEY POINTS:

Treatment of generalized vulvodynia or vestibulodynia may include the following

Review and discontinuation of products being used by patient (soaps, shampoo, pads)
If the pain is hormonally mediated, use of local topical hormonal creams (e.g., estrogen)
If pain is thought to be due to high pelvic tone, referral to a pelvic floor physical therapist may be appropriate
Consider pain medications such as tricyclics and Gabapentin: Start with lower dosage than typically used for depression or epilepsy
- Amitriptyline (usually first-line): 5–25 mg po nightly and increased by 10–25 mg weekly (maximum 150 mg daily)
  - If plan to stop tricyclics: Wean off (do not stop suddenly) by reducing dose 10–25 mg every few days
- Gabapentin: 300 mg total daily to a maximum 3,600 mg daily (1,200 mg by mouth three times a day)
  - Adjust dose based on adverse effects

Note: Above medications will need to be tritrated, often over 3 to 4 weeks to arrive at optimal dose | Adverse effects include sedation, dry mouth, and dizziness (some patients will develop tolerance)

Additional Treatment Options

Use of topical medications such as lidocaine
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
If the vestibulodynia is primary and other treatments have failed, further neurologic workup and surgical approaches may be required