Vulvodynia Pain Thresholds

State University of New York at Buffalo18 enrolled

Overview

Annotated pain maps will be created showing region and size of areas sensitive to mechanical stimulus in both women affected by vulvar pain and unaffected control patients.

The investigators will develop annotated pain maps showing region and size of areas sensitive to mechanical stimulus. The pain maps will be created by combining IR images, photographs, and clinical input, and will be correlated with patient co-morbidities. The IR images will assess for areas of inflammation and increased skin temperature. Pain maps will be created with patient response to mechanical stimulation with a cotton swab and will be overlaid on the thermographic images. Through this combination of measurements, the investigators plan to expand the diagnostic tools used in patient care as well as on the classification of this heterogeneous disorder.

Study Type

OBSERVATIONAL

Enrollment

Conditions

Vulvodynia

Interventions

Thermographic Imaging and Mechanical Pain AssessmentDIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Assessment of pain sensitivity with mechanical stimulus (cotton swab) and thermographic imaging with infrared camera

Eligibility

Sex: FEMALEMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 50 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * women meeting criteria for vulvodynia women seeking care for routine gynecologic exam Exclusion Criteria: * women less than 18 years of age current pregnancy women with vulvar or vaginal disorder other than pain

Locations (1)

UBMD Obstetrics and Gynecology

Buffalo, New York, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Annotated Pain Mapping

Develop annotated pain maps showing region and size of area sensitive to mechanical stimulus. A cotton swab is used to lightly touch the vulva in 18 different locations and participant's assessment of pain on a scale of 0-10 is recorded.

Time frame: Duration of study visit, approximately 1 hour

Quantitative Pain Description of the Vulva With Touch.

The vulva is lightly touched with a cotton swab at 18 locations of the vulva. Participants rate pain at each location on a scale of 0-10, with 0 being no pain and 10 being worst. Only the pain scores from the 7 points of the inner vulva are presented here, since that is the primary site of pain in women with provoked vulvodynia.

Time frame: Immediate

Secondary Outcomes

Thermographic Imaging of the Vulva.

Images of the vulva taken (prior to any provocation) with specialized temperature-sensitive camera. These images will then be overlaid on the annotated pain map.

Time frame: Duration of study visit, approximately 1 hour

Thermographic Imaging of the Vulva

Images of the vulva taken with specialized heat-sensitive camera.

Time frame: Duration of study visit, about 1 hour

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.