Role of Chlamydia trachomatis in pelvic inflammatory disease.

Endocervical swabs and peritoneal aspirate from the pouch of Douglas (POD) were taken in 50 women with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and in 50 controls for the detection of C. trachomatis antigen (Chlamydiazyme). C. trachomatis antigen was detected from endocervix in 8 per cent patients and 2 per cent controls (P greater than 0.05), while from the POD it was detected in 44 per cent patients and in none of the control women (P less than 0.005). There was a higher detection rate of C. trachomatis antigen from the POD in women with chronic PID (50%) as compared to acute PID (28.5%; P greater than 0.05). Culdocentesis was found to be a simple and reliable OPD procedure for obtaining material for C. trachomatis antigen detection.