Frequency of N. gonorrheaee, C. trachomatis, U. urealyticum and M. hominis in Pelvic Inflammatory Disease and Fitz-Hugh-Curtis Syndrome

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a common genital tract infection in reproductive women. This study aimed to determine the frequency of Neisseria gonorrheae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Ureaplasma urealyticum, and Mycoplasma hominis in Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), and to further sub-analyze the clinical characteristics in patients diagnosed with Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome (FHCS). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty-six patients diagnosed clinically as PID were recruited from April, 2007 to February, 2011. Retrospective chart review was performed for investigating the characteristics of the clinical manifestation, laboratory findings, and image findings. And then all subjects were classified into two groups, the PID-only group and the FHCS group, depending on whether or not computed tomography showed increased perihepatic enhancement. Samples obtained in endocervical swabs were tested using Roche COBAS Amplicor Polymerase-chain reaction (PCR) for N. gonorrheae, C. trachomatis, U. urealyticum, and M. hominis. RESULTS: The 66 PID patients ranged in age from 19 to 49 years. Thirty nine patients were diagnosed as having an inflammation localized only in the lower abdomen (PID only), and 27 patients were diagnosed as FHCS. According to results of PCR, U. urealyticum was found most commonly in both the PID-only group and the FHCS group (66.7% and 59.3%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Organisms other than C. trachomatis and N. gonorrheae, particularly U. urealyticum, may be detected more frequently in PID patients in Korea. In addition, identification of M. hominis may be of importance in female health problems such as FHCS.