Features of pain syndrome in genital endometriosis and migraine

Abstract

Migraine is often concurrent with endometriosis; however, the mechanisms of comorbidity of these conditions are inadequately studied. Pain is considered as the most significant clinical symptom and maladaptive manifestation of both migraine and endometriosis. Studying the relationship between the clinical manifestations of pain syndrome in patients with endometriosis and migraine is important, since it will contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms of comorbidity of these diseases.Objective: to analyze the features of pain syndrome in patients with migraine and genital endometriosis to clarify the neurogenic mechanisms of their comorbid relationship.Patients and methods. A total of 125 patients who had gone to a gynecologist for endometriosis were examined for the presence of migraine. In accordance with the inclusion criteria, 79 patients (mean age, 34.68±7.11 years) with genital endometriosis confirmed by diagnostic laparoscopy participated in the further study. Two age-matched groups were formed: a study group consisted of 38 patients with endometriosis and concomitant migraine; a comparison group included 41 patients with endometriosis without migraine. All the patients underwent clinical neurological examination, questionnaire survey, pelvic ultrasound, assessment of the severity of pelvic pain according to the pelvic pain index, and determination of the level of central sensitization (CS) using the CS Inventory.Results and discussion. 42% out of the 125 patients who had visited their gynecologist for endometriosis suffered from concomitant migraine, which confirms the comorbidity of these diseases. Chronic pelvic pain (CPP), dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and dyschesia were more common in patients with endometriosis and migraine; there were more patients with asymptomatic endometriosis in the comparison group. The patients of the two groups did not differ in the presentation of different forms of endometriosis, which favors the leading role of central mechanisms in the pathogenesis of pain syndrome in comorbidity of these diseases.In addition, there was a statistically significant increase in the presentation of CPP and dysmenorrhea in patients with chronic migraine compared to those with episodic migraine and to those without migraine. Significantly higher levels of CS according to CSI and pelvic pain index were found in patients with chronic migraine and endometriosis, which suggests that CS plays a key role in the comorbidity of these diseases.Conclusion. The phenomenon of CS is one of the mechanisms of comorbidity of migraine and endometriosis, contributes to both the worsening of various painful manifestations of endometriosis and the increase in migraine attacks, thereby causing obvious maladaptation in patients. The role of CS in the comorbidity of migraine and endometriosis opens up possibilities for the elaboration of a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach to treating these diseases.