163 Pelvic Pain Playbook – Endometriosis, Fibroids, Cysts & Torsion

Pelvic pain and pelvic masses show up all over your exams. The challenge is not memorizing four separate chapters, it is knowing what to do with the patient in front of you: watch, work up, or get them to the OR. In this episode, we walk through four high‑yield causes of pelvic pain and masses in reproductive‑age women: endometriosis, uterine fibroids (leiomyoma), ovarian cysts, and ovarian torsion. What ties them together is the timeline and urgency: chronic versus acute, medical versus surgical, when "more ibuprofen" is fine and when delay means losing an ovary. You will learn: How to recognize endometriosis on exams (cyclic pain, deep dyspareunia, infertility) and why laparoscopy is the definitive diagnosis Which fibroids cause heavy bleeding and how location drives symptoms How to sort functional cysts from more concerning adnexal masses Why normal Doppler flow does not rule out ovarian torsion and why clinical suspicion still controls the decision We finish with a study tip on how to group related conditions so you think like the test writers (and like a clinician), not like a flashcard deck. If you are working hard but your scores are not reflecting it, this episode will help you see pelvic pain questions more clearly and avoid the common traps that cost points.