A Comparative Study of Endocervical and Pelvic Peritoneal Bacterial Flora in Infertile Women in Benin City, Nigeria

Abstract

The relationship between the bacterial flora of the endocervix and the pelvic peritoneum in fifty infertile patients undergoing diagnostic laparoscopy and dye test was investigated at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital. The study design was prospective and cross-sectional. The setting was the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria.

The study population was made up of fifty infertile subjects undergoing laparoscopic investigations. The results showed that there was no relationship between the bacterial colonies of the two studied anatomic sites in the subjects. However, a significant finding worthy of note to all clinicians were the two cases of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which were isolated from both the endocervix and peritoneal cavities in the same patients. The other organisms isolated were of less clinical significance and were either only isolated from endocervix (82%), or the pelvic peritoneum [pouch of Douglas, (16%)].

It is concluded that there is no convincing scientific basis for the routine use of bacteriological investigation of the endocervix in the management of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), and that pelvic tuberculosis may be more common than many clinicians presently believe.

Sahel Medical Journal Vol.7(4) 2004: 107-109