Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection of the fallopian tubes caused by a wide variety of bacteria, including Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and genital tract bacteria, most notably anaerobes.
Manifestations of PID range from mild pelvic pain and tenderness to severe peritonitis. Pelvic abscess formation is a serious infectious complication. However, only about 40% of patients with PID have a fever and even fewer have severe infectious manifestations. Thus, PID is often not diagnosed and it is commonly confused with other pelvic conditions, with a differential diagnosis that most notably includes ectopic pregnancy, appendicitis, and ovarian cyst....