Pain In Young Women Research Articles

COMPARISON OF THE FREQUENCY OF MUSCLE PAIN ASSOCIATED WITH SUXAMETHONIUM IN PRE- AND POST-OVULATORY WOMEN AND IN THOSE TAKING A COMBINED ORAL CONTRACEPTIVE PILL

The frequency of muscle pain following the use of suxamethonium was compared in pre- and post-ovulatory women and in those taking a combined oral contraceptive pill. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups. It is suggested that serum concentrations of progestogen were too low to produce the protection against suxamethonium pains reported in late pregnancy.

Biliary Pain in Young Women in the Absence of Gallstones

Thirteen women aged 21 to 47 years were encountered with intermittent attacks of typical biliary type pain associated with vomiting and tenderness in the right upper abdomen, but the gallbladder filled normally during cholecystography and no stones were identified. Jaundice was not a feature and both liver function tests and serum amylase levels were normal. The pain was reproduced in each of the patients under carefully controlled conditions by the administration of cholecystokinin. In 12 who underwent cholecystectomy, no gross abnormality was found in the biliary tract or pancreas and no consistent pathological abnormality was detected in either the gallbladder or cystic duct to explain the pain. The patients, followed for 3 to 44 months, were relieved of their pain after operation. Although biliary pain is usually due to gallstones, the pain in these patients appeared to arise from the gallbladder and/or cystic duct in the absence of apparent obstruction. Nine of them also had a functional disturbance of the gastrointestinal tract. Six of these had emotional problems and the biliary tract disorder appeared to be part of a generalized disturbance in gastrointestinal function associated with emotional tension. However, in 4 patients, the gastrointestinal disorder was limited to vomiting which occurred only in association with pain and no emotional disorder was present. The etiology of the biliary pain in these patients is unknown.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus typically manifests with fatigue, rash and joint pain in young women. However, this autoimmune disorder can affect any organ system and can cause severe disease leading to renal failure, stroke and death. Because systemic lupus erythematosus can present with many different organ system manifestations the clinician should consider connective tissue disease in the differential diagnosis.