Abdominal and pelvic actinomycosis due to longstanding intrauterine device: a slow and devastating infection

Actinomycosis is a chronic or subacute bacterial infection characterized by large abscess formation, caused mainly by the gram-positive non-acid-fast, anaerobic, or microaerophilic/capnophilic, obligate parasites bacteria from the genus. Although pelvic inflammatory disease is an entity associated with the longstanding use of intrauterine devices (IUDs), actinomycosis is not one of the most frequent infections associated with IUDs. We present the case of a 43-year-old female patient who was referred to the emergency facility because of a 20-day history of abdominal pain with signs of peritoneal irritation. Imaging exams revealed collections confined to the pelvis, plus the presence of an IUD and evidence of sepsis, which was consistent with diffuse peritonitis. An exploratory laparotomy was undertaken, and a ruptured left tubal abscess was found along with peritonitis, and a huge amount of purulent secretion in the pelvis and abdominal cavity. Extensive lavage of the cavities with saline, a left salpingo-oophorectomy, and drainage of the cavities were performed. The histopathological examination of the surgical specimen revealed an acute salpingitis with abscesses containing sulfur granules. Therefore, the diagnosis of abdominal and pelvic actinomycosis was made. The postoperative outcome was troublesome and complicated with a colocutaneous fistula, which drained through the surgical wound. A second surgical approach was needed, requiring another extensive lavage and drainage of the recto-uterine pouch, plus the performance of a colostomy. Broad-spectrum antibiotics added to ampicillin were the first antimicrobial regimen followed by 4 weeks of amoxicillin during the outpatient follow-up. The patient satisfactorily recovered and is already scheduled for the intestinal transit reconstitution.

Infección del tracto genital superior femenino: revisión pictográfica por tomografía computada según clasificación clínica / Infection of the female upper genital tract: pictorial review by computed tomography according to clinical classification

La infección del tracto genital superior (ITGS) femenino o enfermedad inflamatoria pélvica (EIP) comprende una serie de condiciones inflamatorias del tracto reproductivo femenino. La presentación clínica es variada y la mayoría se presenta como un dolor abdominal de cuadrantes inferiores o dolor pélvico, pudiendo ser incluso difuso y muchas veces manifestarse como un dolor abdominal agudo de difícil diagnóstico. Las formas de presentación clínica y el compromiso anatómico son variados. En 1982 Monif diseñó una clasificación que se basa en el compromiso anatómico de las estructuras afectadas, desde una infección localizada como salpingitis, hasta cuadros más graves con riesgo vital como un absceso tubo oválico (ATO) roto. Las imágenes junto a la clínica forman un pilar fundamental para el diagnóstico y así definir una conducta terapéutica. En el siguiente artículo se presenta una serie de casos con sus principales hallazgos a la tomografía computada (TC) clasificados por los estadios de Monif.

Abstract: Upper genital tract infection (UGTI) or female pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) comprises a number of inflammatory conditions of the female reproductive tract. The clinical presentation is varied and most occur as a lower quadrant abdominal pain or pelvic pain, and may even be diffuse and often manifest as an acute abdominal pain difficult to diagnose. The clinical presentation and anatomic involvement are varied. In 1982 Monif designed a classification based on the anatomical commitment of the affected structures, from a localized infection such as salpingitis, to more serious conditions such as life-threatening ruptured tubo-ovarian abscess (TOA). Images together with case history form a fundamental basis for the diagnosis and so define therapeutic management. In the following article a series of cases are presented with their main findings to the computed tomography (CT) classified according to Monifs staging.

Xanthogranulomatous salpingitis as a rare pathologic aspect of chronic active pelvic inflammatory disease.

Xanthogranulomatous salpingitis (XGS) is a rare form of chronic inflammation of the fallopian tubes. A 41-year old woman with a history of secondary infertility for 2 years is presented. The patient underwent bilateral salpingooopherectomy with presumptive diagnosis of adnexal mass with cystic component. Intraoperative pathology consultation was done. The diagnosis of bilateral XGS associated with chronic active follicular salpingitis was made. XGS is reported to be caused by an unsuccesfully treated pelvic inflammatory disease. Its association with chronic active follicular salpingitis has not been previously reported. Chronic active follicular salpingitis with xanthogranulomatous inflammation might give the impression of a cystic adnexal mass with septations on preoperative pelvic computed tomography. Frozen sections are necessary to rule out malignancy as done in our case.

Apoptosis related genes expressed in cultured Fallopian tube epithelial cells infected in vitro with Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Background: Infection of the Fallopian tubes (FT) by Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ngo) can lead to acute salpingitis, an inflammatory condition resulting in damage primarily to the ciliated cells, with loss of ciliary activity and sloughing of the cells from the epithelium. Recently, we have shown that Ngo infection induced apoptosis in FT epithelium cells by a TNF-alpha dependent mechanism that could contribute to the cell and tissue damage observed in gonococcal salpingitis. Aim: To investigate the apoptosis-related genes expressed during apoptosis induction in cultured FT epithelial cells infected in vitro by Ngo. Materials and Methods: In the current study, we used cDNA macroarrays and real time PCR to identify and determine the expression levels of apoptosis related genes during the in vitro gonococci infection of FT epithelial cells. Results: Significant apoptosis was induced following infection with Ngo. Macroarray analysis identified the expression of multiple genes of the TNF receptor family (TNFRSF1B, -4, -6, -10A, -10B and -10D) and the Bcl-2 family (BAK1, BAX, BLK, HRK and MCL-1) without differences between controls and infected cells. This lack of difference was confirmed by RT-PCR of BAX, Bcl-2, TNFRS1A (TNFR-I) and TNFRSF1B (TNFR-II). Conclusion: Several genes related to apoptosis are expressed in primary cultures of epithelial cells of the human Fallopian tube. Infection with Ngo induces apoptosis without changes in the pattern of gene expression of several apoptosis-related genes. Results strongly suggest that Ngo regulates apoptosis in the FT by post-transcriptional mechanisms that need to be further addressed.

Incidencia de chlamydia trachomatis en pacientes con esterilidad / Incidence of chlamydia trachomatis in sterile patients

Con el objeto de determinar el impacto de la Chlamydia trachomatis en las pacientes que consultan por esterilidad en el Hospital Chiquinquirá, se estudiaron dos grupos de pacientes: 45 mujeres que consultaron por esterilidad (GE) y 41 consultaron por otras razones en la consulta de ginecología las cuales representaron el grupo control (GC). Se practicaron 86 pruebas de Chlamydiazyme: 12 resultaron positivas (13.95%), en el GE fueron 4 (8.89%) positivas y en el GC 8 positivas (19.5); no encontrándose ninguna diferencia estadísticamente significativa (p = 0.3). Tampoco hubo diferencia significativa al comparar los resultados positivos obtenidos en la prueba de Chlamydia con el factor esterilidad (p = 0.5), antecedentes de patología tubárica (p =0.2), hallazgos patológicos en la histerosalpingografía (p = 0.2) y a la laparoscopia (p = 0.1). Concluimos, en base a nuestros resultados, que la C. trachomatis no se aisla en nuestras pacientes estéroles con la incidencia reportada por otros autores por lo que podemos asumir que el impacto sobre la esterilidad en nuestras pacientes es de poca importancia

Processos inflamatórios dos anexos do útero / Adnexial inflammatory processes of the uterus

Revisaram-se os laudos anatomopatológicos de 867 casos de doença inflamatória pélvica. A incidência de abscessos tubo-ovarianos situou-se em torno de 8,5%