Gynaecology: Pelvic floor ovary and vulva
🩺 Pelvic floor, ovarian and vulval problems — prolapse and urinary incontinence affect many women after childbirth and the menopause, yet are often hidden through embarrassment; simple pelvic floor exercises help most. Ovarian cysts are common and usually benign, but ovarian torsion is a surgical emergency, and any pelvic mass in an older woman needs assessment for cancer. Vulval itching in an older woman is often lichen sclerosus, which needs treatment and follow-up.
Your four questions for every patient: Could she be pregnant (pelvic pain)? Is this an emergency (torsion, bleeding, sepsis)? Is there a risk of cancer (pelvic mass, CA125, vulval lesion)? How much is this affecting her life — and what does she want to do about it?
Pelvic Organ Prolapse
- What it is: One or more pelvic organs bulge down into or out of the vagina because of weak support (pelvic floor muscles and ligaments).
- Types:
- Anterior wall — cystocele (bladder); urethrocele.
- Posterior wall — rectocele (rectum); enterocele (small bowel, upper posterior wall).
- Apical — uterine prolapse; vault prolapse (after hysterectomy).
- Procidentia — the whole womb outside the vagina.
- Risk factors:
- Vaginal childbirth (especially large babies, forceps, long second stage).
- Age and menopause (low oestrogen).
- Obesity; chronic cough; constipation and straining; heavy lifting.
- Previous hysterectomy; connective tissue disorders (Ehlers–Danlos).
- Symptoms:
- A feeling of a lump or something "coming down"; dragging; worse at the end of the day or after standing.
- Bladder — frequency, urgency, incomplete emptying, slow stream, needing to push the bulge back to void, recurrent UTIs.
- Bowel — incomplete emptying, needing to press on the perineum or vagina to open the bowels (rectocele).
- Sexual problems; ulceration and bleeding (procidentia).
- Examination — Sims' speculum in the left lateral position; ask her to bear down; grade the prolapse (e.g. POP-Q stages 0–4). Check for incontinence (cough test), and examine the abdomen for a mass (rare — a pelvic mass can push organs down).
↑ Back to index
Treating Prolapse
- No symptoms — no treatment needed; advise on risk factors.
- Conservative (NICE NG123):
- Lifestyle — weight loss, treat constipation and cough, avoid heavy lifting.
- Supervised pelvic floor muscle training for at least 16 weeks — helps mild to moderate prolapse.
- Vaginal oestrogen — if vaginal atrophy, especially with a pessary.
- Vaginal pessaries:
- Ring (most common), shelf, Gellhorn, cube.
- Good for women who don't want or are unfit for surgery, or are planning more children.
- Changed or cleaned every 6–12 months (or self-managed).
- Complications — discharge, bleeding, ulceration, rarely fistula or impaction (neglected pessary).
- Surgery:
- Anterior or posterior repair (colporrhaphy).
- Vaginal hysterectomy with repair (uterine prolapse); uterus-sparing procedures (sacrohysteropexy).
- Vault prolapse — sacrocolpopexy, sacrospinous fixation.
- Colpocleisis — closing the vagina (for frail women who are not sexually active).
- Mesh — transvaginal mesh for prolapse is no longer used in the NHS (high-vigilance restrictions since 2018 because of serious complications — pain, erosion). Mesh is still used in some abdominal procedures with strict governance.
↑ Back to index
Urinary Incontinence — Assessment
| Type | Features |
| Stress incontinence | Leaking with coughing, sneezing, laughing, exercise — weak pelvic floor or urethral sphincter |
| Urge incontinence (overactive bladder) | Sudden strong urge to pass urine with leaking before reaching the toilet; frequency, nocturia — overactive detrusor muscle |
| Mixed incontinence | Both — treat the main symptom first |
| Overflow incontinence | Dribbling from a full bladder that doesn't empty — obstruction or an underactive bladder (diabetes, neurological disease, drugs) |
| Functional incontinence | Normal bladder but can't get to the toilet in time — mobility, dementia |
| Fistula | Continuous leaking (vesicovaginal fistula — after surgery, radiotherapy or obstructed labour) |
- Assessment (NICE NG123):
- History — type, triggers, fluid intake (especially caffeine and alcohol), drugs (diuretics), bowel function, effect on life.
- Bladder diary for at least 3 days (frequency, volumes, leaks, drinks).
- Urine dipstick — infection, blood, glucose; culture if symptoms of infection.
- Post-void residual (bladder scan) — if voiding symptoms or suspected retention.
- Examination — abdominal (bladder), vaginal (prolapse, atrophy, pelvic floor strength), neurological if indicated.
- Urodynamics — before surgery for stress incontinence if the type is unclear, or after failed treatment.
- Red flags (refer) — visible haematuria, recurrent UTIs with haematuria in older women, pelvic mass, suspected fistula, palpable bladder after voiding, neurological symptoms (cauda equina — urgent), previous pelvic cancer surgery or radiotherapy.
↑ Back to index
Stress Incontinence
- Risk factors — pregnancy and vaginal birth, menopause, obesity, chronic cough, constipation, prolapse, previous pelvic surgery.
- Treatment:
- Lifestyle — weight loss (BMI over 30), reduce caffeine, avoid too much or too little fluid, stop smoking.
- Supervised pelvic floor muscle training for at least 3 months — at least 8 contractions three times a day (first line; helps most). Biofeedback or electrical stimulation if she can't contract the muscles.
- Vaginal oestrogen for atrophy (doesn't treat stress incontinence on its own).
- Duloxetine — second line if surgery isn't wanted or suitable (nausea common).
- Vaginal devices (continence pessaries) for exercise.
- Surgery (if conservative measures fail):
- Colposuspension (open or laparoscopic).
- Autologous rectus fascial sling.
- Urethral bulking agents — less invasive, less durable.
- Mid-urethral mesh tapes (TVT, TOT) — under strict restrictions since 2018 in the UK (pain and erosion concerns); used only with full informed consent in specialist centres.
↑ Back to index
Overactive Bladder and Urge Incontinence
- Overactive bladder — urgency, with or without urge incontinence, usually with frequency and nocturia, without infection or other disease.
- Causes and triggers — idiopathic (most); caffeine, alcohol, fizzy drinks; UTI (exclude); bladder stones or cancer (haematuria); neurological disease (MS, Parkinson's, stroke, spinal injury); drugs (diuretics); atrophy; constipation.
- Treatment (step up):
- Lifestyle — reduce caffeine and fizzy drinks; fluid intake about 1.5–2 L a day; weight loss; treat constipation.
- Bladder training for at least 6 weeks — gradually increasing the time between voids.
- Vaginal oestrogen if postmenopausal with atrophy.
- Antimuscarinic drugs — e.g. solifenacin, tolterodine, fesoterodine, trospium:
- Side effects — dry mouth, constipation, blurred vision, urinary retention, confusion.
- Anticholinergic burden — linked to falls and cognitive decline and dementia in older people. Avoid oxybutynin (immediate release) in frail older women; consider the total burden.
- Contraindicated in angle-closure glaucoma, myasthenia, urinary retention.
- Mirabegron (beta-3 agonist) — if antimuscarinics are contraindicated, not tolerated, or not effective; or preferred in older people. Check BP (avoid in severe uncontrolled hypertension). Vibegron is another option.
- Review drug treatment at 4 weeks.
- Specialist — urodynamics; botulinum toxin A injections into the bladder (may need self-catheterisation); percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation; sacral nerve stimulation; augmentation cystoplasty (rarely).
- Nocturia — also consider heart failure, diabetes, sleep apnoea, evening fluids, and nocturnal polyuria (desmopressin with sodium monitoring in some).
↑ Back to index
Other Bladder Problems
- Voiding dysfunction and retention in women — after childbirth or surgery, epidural, drugs (anticholinergics, opioids), prolapse, neurological disease, constipation, pelvic mass. Catheterise if residual over 500 mL; intermittent self-catheterisation for chronic retention.
- Bladder pain syndrome (interstitial cystitis) — pain related to bladder filling, frequency, urgency, normal cultures; cystoscopy; bladder instillations, amitriptyline, pentosan polysulfate (eye toxicity — screening), specialist care.
- Recurrent UTIs — see the Tubular, Inherited and Stones chapter.
- Fistulas — vesicovaginal (continuous leaking) after hysterectomy, radiotherapy, cancer, obstructed labour; surgical repair.
- Urethral diverticulum — dribbling after voiding, painful sex, a tender anterior vaginal lump.
- Containment products and continence services for those who can't be cured.
↑ Back to index
Benign Ovarian Cysts
| Type | Features |
| Functional cysts (follicular, corpus luteum) | The commonest in premenopausal women; simple, thin-walled, usually under 5 cm; resolve within 2–3 cycles. Corpus luteum cysts can bleed or rupture. |
| Mature cystic teratoma (dermoid cyst) | The commonest benign tumour in young women; contains fat, hair, teeth; often bilateral; high torsion risk; rarely malignant change. |
| Endometrioma ("chocolate cyst") | Endometriosis; old blood ("ground glass" on ultrasound); painful periods, dyspareunia, subfertility. |
| Serous cystadenoma | Common benign epithelial tumour; may be bilateral. |
| Mucinous cystadenoma | Can become very large; rupture can cause pseudomyxoma peritonei (mucinous ascites). |
| Fibroma | Solid; Meigs' syndrome — ovarian fibroma, ascites and right pleural effusion (resolves after removal). |
| Theca lutein cysts | With very high hCG (molar pregnancy, multiple pregnancy, IVF). |
| Polycystic ovaries | Many small follicles — not true cysts; part of PCOS. |
- Symptoms — often none (found on scans); pelvic pain or pressure, bloating, urinary frequency, dyspareunia; acute pain with torsion, rupture or bleeding.
- Management of simple cysts in premenopausal women (RCOG):
- Under 5 cm — usually functional; no follow-up needed.
- 5–7 cm — repeat ultrasound yearly (refer to gynaecology).
- Over 7 cm — further imaging (MRI) or surgery (laparoscopic cystectomy — keeps the ovary).
- Postmenopausal women — any cyst needs CA125 and ultrasound; small simple cysts (under 5 cm) with normal CA125 can be monitored.
↑ Back to index
Assessing an Adnexal Mass
- Premenopausal women:
- Pregnancy test (ectopic).
- Transvaginal ultrasound.
- CA125 is not needed for simple cysts on ultrasound (raised in endometriosis, fibroids, PID, pregnancy, menstruation).
- Tumour markers (LDH, AFP, hCG) in women under 40 with a complex mass — germ cell tumours.
- Postmenopausal women and any suspicion of cancer:
- CA125 and transvaginal ultrasound.
- Risk of Malignancy Index (RMI) = ultrasound score (U) × menopausal status (M) × CA125:
- U — 0, 1 or 3 based on features: multilocular, solid areas, bilateral, ascites, metastases.
- M — 1 (premenopausal) or 3 (postmenopausal).
- RMI 200 or more (or 250 in some protocols) — refer to the gynaecological oncology MDT.
- Newer tools — IOTA simple rules, ADNEX model, O-RADS.
- Worrying ultrasound features — solid areas, thick septations, papillary projections, increased blood flow, ascites, bilateral masses.
- Ovarian cancer symptoms in primary care (NICE NG12) — persistent bloating, early satiety, pelvic or abdominal pain, urinary urgency or frequency, especially in women over 50: check CA125 (35 IU/mL or more → ultrasound). Ascites or a pelvic mass (not obviously fibroids) → suspected cancer pathway.
- See the Breast and Gynaecological Cancers chapter.
↑ Back to index
Ovarian Torsion
- What it is: The ovary (often with the tube) twists on its blood supply, causing ischaemia. A surgical emergency — delay risks losing the ovary.
- Risk factors — an enlarged ovary: cysts (especially dermoid), tumours, ovarian stimulation (IVF, OHSS), pregnancy. Can happen in children and teenagers with normal ovaries.
- Features:
- Sudden, severe, one-sided lower abdominal pain, often colicky or intermittent (twisting and untwisting).
- Nausea and vomiting (common).
- Sometimes after exercise or a sudden movement.
- Tender adnexal mass; low-grade fever.
- Diagnosis — mainly clinical.
- Pregnancy test (exclude ectopic).
- Ultrasound — enlarged, oedematous ovary, free fluid, "whirlpool sign" (twisted pedicle). Normal Doppler flow does not exclude torsion.
- Management — urgent laparoscopy to untwist (detort) the ovary — even a dark, ischaemic-looking ovary often recovers, so conserve it (especially in young women); cystectomy if a cyst is present; oophorectomy only if necrotic. Analgesia and fluids before surgery.
⚠️ Safety Pearl: A normal Doppler doesn't rule out ovarian torsion. If the story fits — sudden one-sided pain, vomiting, and an ovarian cyst — arrange urgent laparoscopy.
↑ Back to index
Cyst Rupture and Haemorrhage
- Ruptured or haemorrhagic cyst (usually a corpus luteum cyst in the second half of the cycle):
- Sudden one-sided pain, often after sex or exercise; may be peritonism.
- Free fluid on ultrasound.
- Most settle with analgesia and observation.
- Significant haemoperitoneum (falling Hb, shock — especially on anticoagulants) — laparoscopy.
- Dermoid rupture — chemical peritonitis; surgery.
- Endometrioma rupture — peritonitis-like pain.
↑ Back to index
Acute Pelvic Pain — Approach
- Always start with a pregnancy test.
- Gynaecological causes:
- Ectopic pregnancy; miscarriage.
- Ovarian torsion; cyst rupture or haemorrhage.
- Pelvic inflammatory disease and tubo-ovarian abscess (see the Sexual Health chapter).
- Endometriosis; fibroid degeneration; mittelschmerz (mid-cycle, mild, self-limiting).
- OHSS after IVF.
- Non-gynaecological causes:
- Appendicitis.
- UTI, pyelonephritis, kidney stones.
- Diverticulitis (older women), IBD, IBS, constipation, bowel obstruction.
- Hernias.
- Tests — pregnancy test, urine dipstick, FBC, CRP, STI swabs (NAAT), group and save; transvaginal ultrasound; CT if non-gynae cause suspected.
- Diagnostic laparoscopy if the cause is unclear and pain or peritonism continues.
↑ Back to index
Bartholin's Cyst and Abscess
- Bartholin's glands — two pea-sized glands at the back of the vaginal opening (at 4 and 8 o'clock) that make lubricating mucus.
- Bartholin's cyst — the duct blocks: a painless swelling on one side of the vulva. Small cysts need no treatment (warm baths).
- Bartholin's abscess — infected cyst: a very painful, hot, red swelling; difficulty walking and sitting.
- Organisms — skin and gut bacteria; sometimes gonorrhoea or chlamydia (test).
- Treatment — analgesia; antibiotics if cellulitis (e.g. co-amoxiclav); drainage — Word catheter insertion (left for 4 weeks), or marsupialisation (stitching the cyst open) to reduce recurrence.
- Over 40 — a new Bartholin's swelling or a solid mass should be biopsied (rare Bartholin's gland cancer).
↑ Back to index
Lichen Sclerosus
- What it is: A chronic inflammatory skin condition, usually of the vulva and around the anus; probably autoimmune. Most common in postmenopausal women (also prepubertal girls and men — foreskin).
- Features:
- Intense itching (often worse at night), soreness, painful sex, splitting.
- White, shiny, thin ("cigarette paper") patches; can affect the vulva and perianal skin in a figure-of-eight.
- Purpura, fissures; scarring — loss of the labia minora, fusion over the clitoris, narrowing of the vaginal opening.
- Doesn't affect the vagina itself.
- Diagnosis — clinical; biopsy if atypical, not responding, or suspicion of cancer.
- Treatment:
- Potent topical steroid — clobetasol propionate 0.05% ointment: once daily for 4 weeks, alternate days for 4 weeks, twice weekly for 4 weeks, then as needed for maintenance (e.g. 1–2 times a week).
- Emollients and soap substitutes; avoid irritants.
- Surgery for severe scarring (narrowed introitus).
- Cancer risk — about 2–5% lifetime risk of vulval squamous cell carcinoma; good control with steroids reduces this. Long-term follow-up; teach self-examination; biopsy any persistent ulcer, lump or thickened area.
- Associated with other autoimmune diseases (thyroid, vitiligo).
↑ Back to index
Other Vulval Skin Conditions
- Vulval itch — causes:
- Candida (thrush) — the commonest; recurrent in diabetes, antibiotics, pregnancy.
- Irritant or allergic contact dermatitis — soaps, bubble baths, wipes, pads, topical creams, urine.
- Lichen sclerosus; lichen simplex chronicus (thickened skin from scratching).
- Lichen planus — erosive, can affect the vagina and mouth (vulvovaginal–gingival syndrome); scarring.
- Psoriasis (shiny red, no scale in skin folds); eczema.
- Atrophy after the menopause.
- Infections — trichomonas, scabies, pubic lice.
- VIN and vulval cancer (persistent itch with a lesion).
- General advice — avoid soaps and irritants; use emollients as soap substitutes; cotton underwear; avoid tight clothing.
- Vulval lumps — Bartholin's cyst, sebaceous cysts, genital warts, molluscum, hidradenitis suppurativa (recurrent painful nodules and sinuses in groins), varicosities, skin tags; vulval cancer (ulcer or lump in an older woman — refer).
- Vulval ulcers — herpes simplex, syphilis, Behçet's disease, Crohn's, aphthous, erosive lichen planus, cancer.
↑ Back to index
Vulvodynia and Painful Sex
- Dyspareunia — painful sex:
- Superficial (at the entrance) — infection (thrush, herpes), vulvodynia, vaginismus, atrophy, lichen sclerosus, scarring after childbirth (episiotomy), FGM, lack of lubrication.
- Deep — endometriosis, PID, adhesions, ovarian cysts, fibroids, adenomyosis, pelvic congestion.
- Vulvodynia — chronic vulval pain (burning, stinging) for 3 months or more without a visible cause:
- Provoked (vestibulodynia — pain on touch, tampons, sex) or unprovoked (constant).
- Cotton bud test reproduces pain at the vestibule.
- Treatment — explanation; avoid irritants; topical lidocaine before sex; neuropathic agents (amitriptyline, gabapentin); pelvic floor physiotherapy; psychosexual therapy and CBT.
- Vaginismus — involuntary spasm of the pelvic floor muscles making penetration difficult or impossible; psychosexual therapy, graded dilators, physiotherapy.
- Sexual dysfunction — low desire, arousal or orgasm problems; consider relationship issues, depression, drugs (SSRIs), menopause, past trauma.
↑ Back to index
Vulval Intraepithelial Neoplasia
- What it is: Pre-cancerous changes of the vulval skin.
- Types:
- HSIL (usual-type VIN) — HPV-related; younger women; smokers; often with cervical or anal HPV disease.
- Differentiated VIN — not HPV-related; older women with lichen sclerosus or lichen planus; higher risk of progression to cancer.
- Features — itch, soreness, raised or thickened patches (white, red or brown); may be found during colposcopy.
- Diagnosis — biopsy.
- Treatment — surgical excision; laser ablation; topical imiquimod (HPV-related); stop smoking; long-term follow-up.
- Vulval cancer — see the Breast and Gynaecological Cancers chapter.
↑ Back to index
Female Genital Mutilation
- What it is: Any procedure that intentionally alters or injures the female genitals for non-medical reasons. Illegal in the UK (including taking a girl abroad for it). Usually done to girls before puberty.
- WHO types:
- Type 1 — removal of the clitoral glans and/or hood.
- Type 2 — removal of the clitoris and labia minora (± labia majora).
- Type 3 — infibulation: narrowing the vaginal opening by cutting and sealing the labia.
- Type 4 — other harmful procedures (pricking, piercing, cauterising).
- Complications:
- Immediate — pain, bleeding, infection, urinary retention, death.
- Long term — recurrent UTIs, painful periods (haematocolpos), cysts, painful sex, psychological trauma (PTSD), subfertility.
- Obstetric — obstructed labour, perineal tears, PPH.
- Legal duties:
- Mandatory reporting — health professionals in England and Wales must report to the police (call 101) if a girl under 18 tells them she has had FGM, or they see signs of it — within 1 month.
- Record FGM in the notes (enhanced dataset) for women of any age.
- Safeguarding referral if any girl (including daughters of a woman with FGM) is at risk.
- Re-infibulation after birth is illegal.
- Care:
- Sensitive, non-judgemental; use a professional interpreter (not family).
- Deinfibulation (opening type 3 FGM) — ideally before pregnancy or in the second trimester, or in labour.
- Specialist FGM clinics; psychological support.
↑ Back to index
Common Gynaecological Operations
- Hysteroscopy — a camera into the womb (outpatient or under anaesthetic): biopsy, polyp or fibroid removal, IUD retrieval. Risks — pain, infection, perforation (rare).
- Laparoscopy — keyhole surgery: diagnosis, ectopic, cysts, endometriosis, sterilisation. Risks — bowel, bladder or vessel injury (about 1 in 1,000), conversion to open surgery, port-site hernia, shoulder tip pain (gas).
- Hysterectomy:
- Routes — vaginal, laparoscopic, abdominal (open).
- Total (womb and cervix) or subtotal (cervix kept — still needs cervical screening).
- With or without removal of tubes (salpingectomy reduces ovarian cancer risk) and ovaries (oophorectomy — causes surgical menopause if premenopausal).
- Risks — bleeding, infection, VTE, ureteric injury, bladder or bowel injury, vault prolapse later, early menopause.
- Endometrial ablation — destroys the lining (heavy periods; family complete; contraception still needed).
- LLETZ (large loop excision of the transformation zone) — treats cervical pre-cancer (CIN); slight increase in preterm birth risk.
- After gynaecological surgery — watch for ureteric injury (loin pain, fever, leaking urine), bladder injury, bowel injury (pain and sepsis days later), VTE.
↑ Back to index
Drug Reference Table
| Drug | Key points |
| Solifenacin / tolterodine / fesoterodine | Antimuscarinics for overactive bladder; dry mouth, constipation; anticholinergic burden in older people. |
| Oxybutynin (immediate release) | Avoid in frail older women (confusion, falls, dementia risk). |
| Mirabegron | Beta-3 agonist for OAB; check BP; avoid in severe uncontrolled hypertension. |
| Botulinum toxin A (intravesical) | Refractory OAB; risk of retention and need for self-catheterisation; UTIs. |
| Duloxetine | Second line for stress incontinence; nausea. |
| Vaginal oestrogen | Atrophy with prolapse, OAB or recurrent UTIs; pessary users. |
| Clobetasol propionate 0.05% ointment | Lichen sclerosus — reducing regimen then maintenance. |
| Emollients (soap substitutes) | All vulval skin conditions. |
| Lidocaine 5% ointment | Provoked vulvodynia before sex. |
| Amitriptyline / gabapentin | Vulvodynia, bladder pain syndrome, neuropathic pelvic pain. |
| Co-amoxiclav | Bartholin's abscess with cellulitis. |
↑ Back to index
Spot the Diagnosis
| Clue | Diagnosis |
| Dragging feeling and a lump at the vulva, has to push the lump up to pass urine | Cystocele |
| Needs to press on the back wall of the vagina to open her bowels | Rectocele |
| Leaks when she coughs or runs | Stress incontinence — pelvic floor exercises |
| Sudden urge and leaks before reaching the toilet; drinks 8 coffees a day | Overactive bladder — reduce caffeine, bladder training |
| Constant leaking after a hysterectomy | Vesicovaginal fistula |
| Confusion after starting oxybutynin in an 84-year-old | Anticholinergic side effect |
| Fat, hair and teeth in an ovarian cyst on imaging | Mature cystic teratoma (dermoid) |
| Ovarian fibroma with ascites and right pleural effusion | Meigs' syndrome |
| Sudden severe left iliac fossa pain and vomiting with a known 6 cm dermoid | Ovarian torsion |
| Sudden pain after sex on day 24 of cycle, free fluid, negative pregnancy test | Ruptured corpus luteum cyst |
| Postmenopausal woman, complex cyst, CA125 220 | High RMI — gynae-oncology referral |
| Hot, very painful swelling at the posterior vaginal opening | Bartholin's abscess |
| Itchy, white, shiny figure-of-eight skin around vulva and anus at 68 | Lichen sclerosus |
| Persistent ulcer on a background of lichen sclerosus | Possible vulval SCC — biopsy |
| Burning pain on tampon insertion with a normal-looking vulva | Provoked vulvodynia |
| 15-year-old says she was "cut" as a child | FGM — mandatory report to police |
↑ Back to index
Exam-style Scenarios
1. A 58-year-old with three vaginal births has a "bulge" in the vagina, worse at the end of the day, and a slow urine stream. Examination shows a grade 2 cystocele.
Answer: Symptomatic anterior wall prolapse.
- Lifestyle (weight, constipation); supervised pelvic floor training for 16 weeks; vaginal oestrogen if atrophy.
- Pessary (ring) if she prefers or exercises fail.
- Surgery (anterior repair) if she wants definitive treatment; check post-void residual.
2. An 80-year-old with mild cognitive impairment has urgency and urge incontinence. Urine dip is negative. Bladder training hasn't helped.
Answer: Overactive bladder in a frail older woman.
- Avoid oxybutynin; consider mirabegron (check BP) rather than antimuscarinics.
- Review fluids and caffeine; vaginal oestrogen if atrophy; check post-void residual.
- Review at 4 weeks.
3. A 22-year-old has sudden severe right iliac fossa pain with vomiting for 3 hours. Pregnancy test negative. Ultrasound: 7 cm right ovarian cyst, Doppler flow present.
Answer: Suspected ovarian torsion (Doppler doesn't exclude it).
- Analgesia, fluids, nil by mouth.
- Urgent laparoscopy — detort and conserve the ovary; cystectomy.
4. A 64-year-old has bloating and early satiety for 3 months. CA125 is 310 IU/mL. Ultrasound: bilateral complex ovarian masses with ascites.
Answer: Suspected ovarian cancer (high RMI).
- Suspected cancer pathway; CT chest, abdomen and pelvis.
- Gynaecological oncology MDT.
5. A 70-year-old has vulval itching for a year. There are white, thin, shiny plaques around the vulva and anus with loss of the labia minora.
Answer: Lichen sclerosus.
- Clobetasol propionate 0.05% ointment (reducing regimen), emollients, soap avoidance.
- Biopsy if atypical or not responding; long-term follow-up; report any lump or ulcer (SCC risk).
↑ Back to index
Key Points
- Prolapse: pelvic floor training first; pessaries or surgery; transvaginal mesh is no longer used for prolapse.
- Incontinence: bladder diary for 3 days, urine dip, post-void residual; refer red flags (haematuria, mass, fistula).
- Stress incontinence: pelvic floor training 3 months (8 contractions three times daily); duloxetine or surgery second line.
- Overactive bladder: reduce caffeine, bladder training 6 weeks, then antimuscarinics or mirabegron; avoid oxybutynin in frail older women.
- Simple premenopausal cysts under 5 cm need no follow-up; 5–7 cm yearly scan; over 7 cm MRI or surgery.
- Postmenopausal cyst or suspicion of cancer: CA125 and ultrasound; RMI 200 or more — gynae-oncology.
- Torsion: sudden one-sided pain and vomiting with a cyst — urgent laparoscopy; normal Doppler doesn't exclude it.
- Always do a pregnancy test in acute pelvic pain.
- Bartholin's abscess: drainage (Word catheter or marsupialisation); biopsy new masses over 40.
- Lichen sclerosus: clobetasol ointment; 2–5% lifetime SCC risk — long-term follow-up and biopsy any persistent lesion.
- FGM in a girl under 18 (told or seen): mandatory report to the police; safeguarding for daughters at risk.
↑ Back to index
Guidelines and Further Reading
- NICE NG123: Urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse in women — management
- RCOG Green-top Guidelines 62 and 34: Ovarian masses in premenopausal and postmenopausal women
- NICE NG12: Suspected cancer — recognition and referral (ovarian cancer)
- BASHH and British Association of Dermatologists: guideline on vulval lichen sclerosus
- RCOG Green-top Guideline 53: Female genital mutilation and its management; Home Office FGM mandatory reporting guidance
- NHS England: guidance on vaginal mesh (high vigilance restriction)
- BNF — for current doses
↑ Back to index