Significance of genital mycoplasmas in pelvic inflammatory disease: innocent bystander!

OBJECTIVE

Our objective was to determine the role of Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum in pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

METHODS

The clinical and microbiologic variables in 114 patients with a clinical diagnosis of PID were compared prospectively according to the isolation of M. hominis and U. urealyticum from their endometrial cavities.

RESULTS

The groups were epidemiologically well matched. Clinical parameters such as temperature, leukocyte count, erythrocyte count, and C-reactive protein on admission and length of hospital stay were similar in the patients, regardless of their mycoplasma status. A significant percentage of the patients either continued or started to harbor genital mycoplasmas after the resolution of PID without any significant clinical sequelae.

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of genital mycoplasmas does not change the clinical presentation and course of PID. Both M. hominis and U. urealyticum can persist or colonize the endometrium after complete recovery from PID. Therefore, the genital mycoplasmas do not seem to have a dominant pathogenic role in PID.