Chronic pelvic pain and a fallen navel:: The importance of psychosomatic and cultural aspects when evaluating pelvic pain

We describe a 42-year-old Turkish woman admitted to the hospital for tubal sterilization. The patient also reported chronic pelvic pain, She had been treated in Turkey for a fallen navel, According to the patient her navel, considered the bodys epicenter, had slipped and thus caused pelvic pain, Evaluation showed a woman in conflict between the roles of a traditional Turkish housewife and a modern European woman. Returning to her familiar environment gave her her center back. This case suggests that subjective or cultural assumptions should be taken into account when evaluating chronic pelvic pain and planning an integrated therapeutic approach.