[Assessment of the inflammatory evolution of the sequelae of salpingitis]

Fifty-four patients who had consulted because of their sterility had a laparoscopy carried out with bacteriological, cytological and biochemical studies of the peritoneal fluid as well as a histological assessment of the peritoneal adhesions. The purpose of this prospective study was to show the usefulness of laparoscopy in pre-operative assessment of tubal sterility and to look for objective criteria of the progress of inflammation. To do the study, two groups of women in different clinical stages (29 patients with no pelvic infection and 25 patients who had salpingitis) were divided into three sub-groups: 25 free of disease, 4 subsiding salpingitis patients and 25 with tubo-peritoneal sequellae. Different samples taken with the laparoscope made it possible to decide whether the inflammatory process was carrying on or not in these 25 cases. Using swabs for bacteriological examinations we had to employ transport medium and this showed bacteria in 7 cases. We found a significant correlation between the serum and peritoneal levels of anti chlamydia antibodies and the levels of AC antibodies when there was a tubal lesion. There was little value in carrying out cytology on the peritoneal fluid except when the histology showed that this was necessary. The level of serum and peritoneal orosomucoid was found to be different in the two groups of patients. This study shows that it is necessary to assess several different parameters to exclude pelvic inflammatory disease before resorting to reparative tubal surgery.