A 35-year-old nulligravid woman is scheduled to undergo diagnostic laparoscopy for evaluation of chronic pelvic pain. She describes her pain as sharp and stabbing that does wax and wane throughout the month but is always present. It is located in the pelvis and does not seem to be affected by bowel or bladder function. Her medical history is significant for ulcerative colitis and endometriosis. Her surgical history is significant for laparoscopic cholecystectomy, coloproctectomy with ileo J pouch creation, laparoscopic ablation of endometriosis, and total laparoscopic hysterectomy. Her coloproctectomy was complicated by postoperative peritonitis that necessitated a prolonged course of intravenous antibiotics. She is not currently on any medications and has no known allergies.

A 32-year-old gravida 4, para 4 woman presents to the clinic with a history of increasingly painful menses over the past 18 months. She also reports mild daily right lower pelvic pain that is increased during menses. She typically misses one to two days of work each month due to this pain but struggles to maintain normal work and personal activities for a total of five to six days each month. Her bowel and bladder function are normal other than occasional constipation. She has tried oral contraceptive pills for six months and over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications without improvement.