Differences in some clinical and laboratory parameters in acute salpingitis related to culture and serologic findings

Women with laparoscopically verified acute salpingitis (AS) were studied, and 151 were classified as having: chlamydia-associated AS (C-AS), gonococcal-associated AS (G-AS), and nonchlamydial, nongonococcal-associated AS (NCNG-AS). Patients with G-AS were more often febrile (rectal temperature greater than 38 degrees C) and more often had a moderately elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (16 to 30 mm/hr) compared to other patients. Women with NCNG-AS were more likely to have a normal ESR and a mild inflammatory reaction laparoscopically. C-AS women were more likely to have had pelvic pain for more than 3 days before seeking treatment and to have an ESR of greater than 30 mm/hr on admission. Predisposing factors to AS, such as insertion of intrauterine device, hysterosalpingography, and curettage within 4 weeks of admission, were more common in the C-AS group. The tubal inflammatory changes in the C-AS group were generally more severe than expected from the relatively benign clinical course.