Pelvic inflammatory disease.

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and PID-related sequelae have risen to alarming proportions and are a major public health problem. During the last two decades, an epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases has led to an epidemic of PID that has now led to a secondary epidemic of tubal infertility and ectopic pregnancies. The direct and indirect economic consequences caused by PID to the community are enormous. The spectrum of clinical manifestations of PID is extremely broad, leading to major diagnostic problems in clinical practice. Although PID is the most preventable cause of tubal damage, PID and PID-related sequelae remain one of the most neglected areas in modern medicine. Prevention of PID should be the main goal of the appropriate diagnosis and treatment of lower genital tract infections. Only better understanding of the risk factors, microbial etiology, pathophysiology, immunopathology, and manifestation of PID can ultimately lead to improved therapeutic results and decrease in the current epidemic of acute, chronic, and late complications of PID.