THE DIAGNOSTIC UTILITY OF ULTRASOUND IN PELVIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE (PID)

Abstract

Background: Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) is a global health issue caused by bacterial infections and can lead to infertility, chronic pain, and ectopic pregnancy if untreated.

Objective: To examine the capabilities of ultrasound in diagnosing PID and the use of the method to improve the clinical results and prognosis

Methodology: This study used a cross-sectional model to assess the efficiency of ultrasound for diagnosing PID. These participants included women aged 18-45years with symptoms of PID as well as those who went through preliminary investigations including high vaginal swabs and urine samples and sign informed consent. Pelvic ultrasound examinations were conducted with the aid of Toshiba Aplio 200 system equipped with a high frequency convex array of 3–5 MHz thereby providing detailed images of pelvic structures.

Results: The study involved 139 female oral contraceptive users with PID, with a mean age of 34.64 years (SD: 9.14). Most patients (64.1%) were aged 26–45 years. Severe pelvic pain was reported by 33.1%, and 53.2% experienced abnormal menstruation. Vaginal discharge was noted in 56.1%, of which 52.5% was foul-smelling. Ultrasonography revealed an average endometrium thickness of 10.47 mm, with hydrosalpinx present in 54.7% of cases. Uterine echogenicity was homogeneous in 51.1% and heterogeneous in 48.9%, correlating with marital status. Weak, statistically insignificant correlations were found between age, marital status, and endometrium thickness.

Conclusion: This study proved that ultrasound is an efficient and inexpensive modality of imaging in establishing the relation between PID and its complications.