Early ultrasound-guided transvaginal drainage of tubo-ovarian abscesses: a randomized study

A prospective study of 40 women diagnosed as suffering from tubo-ovarian abscesses was carried out in order to compare the outcome after treating these abscesses with intensive antibiotic therapy alone or in association with early ultrasound-guided vaginal drainage. Patients were assigned to two groups, distributed on a random basis, with a clinical and ultrasound diagnosis of tubo-ovarian abscess of less than 10 cm maximal diameter. Both groups received an antimicrobial combination of clindamycin and gentamicin. In the study group, we performed, in addition, early transvaginal drainage of the abscess. Both short-term (48-72 h) and medium-term (4 weeks) responses to the treatment were evaluated. In the study group we observed a favorable short-term response in 90% of the cases, whereas this was 65% in the control group. In the medium-term follow up, one patient in the study group and three in the control group had an adnexal mass on transvaginal sonography.