Pelvic Congestion Syndrome
What is Pelvic Congestion Syndrome?
Pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS) is a common cause of pelvic pain affecting up to 30-40% of women.
Pelvic congestion syndrome is caused by dilatation of the ovarian and pelvic veins. This is essentially like varicose veins but in the pelvis.
Varicose veins in the legs occur when the valves that stop blood from flowing backwards become faulty. This causes blood to pool due to gravity and results in enlarged knotty veins. This is similarly what happens in the pelvis with PCS. This elevated pressure results in the pain and other symptoms of PCS and can cause visible varicose veins in the vulva, vagina, inner thighs, sometimes the buttock and down the leg.
When the valves do not work or if there is obstruction to flow, the blood flows backwards away from the heart and there is pooling in the veins causing them to enlarge. Varicose veins then develop around the ovaries and other pelvic organs and also in the vagina, vulva and legs. These veins can push on other pelvic organs such as the bladder and rectum.
