Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)

Diagnosis

Your doctor will ask about your medical history, including the sexual habits of both you and your partner or partners. Your doctor also will ask about your symptoms and methods of birth control. A pelvic examination will reveal whether your reproductive organs are tender or swollen. This helps to identify the specific site of infection.

The diagnosis of pelvic inflammatory disease is not always easy because the site of infection cannot be examined easily. Also, the symptoms sometimes mimic symptoms of other conditions, such as appendicitis.

During the pelvic examination, your doctor may swab the inside of your cervix with a sterile, cotton-tipped swab. A laboratory will test the sample for gonorrhea and chlamydia. Your doctor may order a blood test to see if your white blood cell count is high, which may indicate that the pelvic inflammatory disease is more severe.

If the diagnosis is not certain, other procedures may be done, including:

• Laparoscopy - A slender, telescope-like instrument is inserted through a small incision in the navel or just below it. This allows the doctor to view the pelvic organs.

• Ultrasound - An electronic device is moved over the abdomen or placed in the vagina, creating echoes that are transformed into images of organs for viewing on a screen. Ultrasound can help the doctor see if the fallopian tubes are swollen or there is an abscess, which is a collection of infected fluid.

Expected Duration

Most cases of pelvic inflammatory disease clear up after 10 to 14 days of antibiotic treatment. More severe cases may need to be treated in a hospital.