Objective: To demonstrate the presence of nerve fibers in pelvic adhes
ions potentially capable of conducting pain stimuli. Methods: Pelvic a
dhesions from 17 patients, ten of whom had a history of pelvic pain, w
ere examined histologically. Routine hematoxylin and eosin stains and
immunoperoxidase stains for S100 protein, B lymphocytes, and T lymphoc
ytes were performed. Mesothelial proliferation, presence of calcificat
ion and/or psammoma bodies, edema, vascularization, inflammation, fibr
oblastic proliferation, and collagenization were graded from 0 (absent
) to 3 (extensive); their prevalences were compared between patients w
ith and without pelvic pain. Results: Nerve fibers were present in spe
cimens from ten of the 17 patients (five of ten patients with and five
of seven without pain). There was no statistically significant differ
ence in the numbers with nerve fibers or in the presence of mesothelia
l proliferation, calcification and/or psammoma bodies, edema, vascular
ization, inflammation, fibroblastic proliferation, or collagenization
between the groups. In all cases, the infiltrating lymphocytes were T
lymphocytes. Conclusion: We were able to demonstrate the presence of n
erve fibers in pelvic adhesions; however, their presence was not more
prevalent among patients with pelvic pain. These findings support the
concept that the formation of adhesions has different stages, with the
final formation of mature connective tissue with its own vascularizat
ion and innervation.