Prevalence and related factors of irritable bowel syndrome in women with chronic pelvic pain

Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2026 Feb 26;81:100884. doi: 10.1016/j.clinsp.2026.100884. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate the prevalence of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and its related sociodemographic, nociceptive, neuropathic, nociplastic, psychosocial, and systemic factors in patients with Chronic Pelvic Pain (CPP).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This observational, prospective, and analytical study was conducted at a Pelvic Pain Outpatient Clinic between August 2021 and March 2022 with patients diagnosed with CPP. The following instruments were applied: IBS was diagnosed using the Rome IV criteria, the Questionnaire for Chronic Pelvic Pain Assessment (QCPPA) of the International Pelvic Pain Society (IPPS), the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), the Douleur Neuropathique 4 questionnaire (DN4), and the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI).

RESULTS: In this study, 111 women with CPP were evaluated. The prevalence of IBS was 53.15%. Patients with IBS showed significantly higher frequencies of myofascial pain (p < 0.001), neuropathic pain (p = 0.026), and central sensitization (p = 0.010). Binary logistic regression identified myofascial pain (OR = 7.614; 95% CI: 2.12-22.88; p = 0.001) as an independent predictor of IBS, while infertility showed a protective association with IBS, with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.209 (95% CI: 0.048-0.915; p = 0.038).

CONCLUSION: Women with CPP have a high prevalence of IBS. In addition to the association with classic factors, this study also observed a significant association with neuropathic pain and pain centralization. A significant association with myofascial syndrome was observed, which appeared as a strong predictor of IBS in the adjusted model.

PMID:41762529 | DOI:10.1016/j.clinsp.2026.100884