VAGINISMUS - AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF VULVAR VESTIBULITIS SYNDROME

Dyspareunia is a common complaint in general gynecological practice. M any patients with dyspareunia suffer from vulvar vestibulitis syndrome (VVS). This syndrome constitutes severe pain on vestibular contact or attempted vaginal entry, tenderness to pressure within the vulvar ves tibule and physical findings of vulvar erythema of various degrees. As a last resort, and only when all conservative treatments have failed, surgery is attempted. It has been our observation that a considerable percentage of patients with WS present with concomitant vaginismus. F urthermore, surgery is less successful in this subgroup of patients un less the vaginismus is first treated. This report describes the evalua tion and treatment of 14 patients with VVS.