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Group A Streptococcus causing PID from an initial pharyngeal infection. A case report
E K Lamb1, J N Anasti, H B Leonetti
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. Luke's Hospital, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, USA. elizabethl@pol.com
Background:
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a difficult diagnosis. Five billion dollars is spent on over 1 million women diagnosed each year. Atypical organisms and prior history of tubal ligation may complicate the diagnosis.
Case:
A woman who had undergone tubal ligation and abstained from intercourse for over two years developed group A streptococcal salpingitis. It occurred following an upper respiratory infection with the same organism.
Conclusion:
PID is rare in a woman with prior tubal ligation who is not engaging in intercourse. In this case it followed an upper respiratory infection with group A Streptococcus. Low diagnostic suspicion must be maintained for uncommon pathogens in PID in women with prior tubal ligation who are not engaging in intercourse.
Insights
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is rare in women with tubal ligation who abstain from intercourse. This case highlights group A Streptococcus as an uncommon cause following an upper respiratory infection.
Area of Science:
- Gynecology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) presents diagnostic challenges, affecting over 1 million women annually.
- Atypical organisms and prior tubal ligation can complicate PID diagnosis and treatment.
Observation:
- A case study of a woman with prior tubal ligation and over two years of sexual abstinence.
- The patient developed group A streptococcal salpingitis subsequent to an upper respiratory infection.
Findings:
- Group A Streptococcus caused salpingitis in a patient with risk factors that typically reduce PID likelihood.
- This indicates PID can occur in unusual circumstances, even with prior tubal ligation and no recent sexual activity.
Implications:
- Clinicians should maintain a low threshold for suspecting uncommon pathogens in PID cases with atypical patient histories.
- This case underscores the importance of considering non-sexually transmitted causes of PID, particularly in women with tubal ligation.