Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), general acute inflammation of the pelvic cavity in women, caused by bacterial infection of the cervix, uterus, ovaries, or fallopian tubes. The disease is most often transmitted by sexual intercourse and is usually the result of infection with gonorrhea or chlamydia. PID typically occurs in women who are under age 25 and are sexually active, who have multiple sexual partners, who have unprotected sex, or who have a history of sexually transmitted disease.

The symptoms of PID are similar to and may be mistaken for those of gonorrhea. They include pain in the abdomen and lower pelvis, chills, nausea, fever, and a thick and peculiarly odorous vaginal discharge. The major complication of PID is scarring of the fallopian tubes, with infertility often a consequence. The incidence of ectopic pregnancies (i.e., those in which the fertilized egg becomes embedded outside the uterus) is much higher in women with a history of PID. Some women develop chronic pelvic pain. Other complications include the development of abscesses on the fallopian tubes or ovaries, which can result in potentially dangerous infections.

The treatment of PID consists of antibiotic therapy to fight the infection. The diagnosis and treatment of male sexual partners of women with PID is also called for, since failure to do so exposes the women to further infections.