Is Chlamydia trachomatis PCR Detection from Cervical Canal Swabs Associated with Tubal Obstruction?

Abstract

Objective: To determine the relationship between a Chlamydia trachomatis PCR positive diagnosis from cervical canal swabs and the presence of tubal diseases among infertile women in Vietnam. Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, women who sought infertility treatment at the Center for Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility, Hue University Hospital, Vietnam, from June 2016 to June 2017 were enrolled. All study participants were interviewed, and PCR tests were then performed to diagnose Chlamydia from cervical canal swabs. Hysterosalpingogram (HSG) was carried out to examine the uterine cavity and fallopian tubes. Results: Among 568 women whose mean age was 32.0 ± 5.1 years, the prevalence of C. trachomatis infection as detected by PCR was 5.8%. Eighty-one percent (460/568) of infertile women had normal HSG results, and abnormal HSG results were more frequent in women over 35 years old, in women with secondary infertility, and in those with a history of miscarriage or genital tract infection. However, there was no relationship between C. trachomatis PCR positivity and HSG results in infertile women. Conclusions: The diagnosis of C. trachomatis infection using the cervical swabs is the useful but not an effective method for routine practice for predicting tubal obstruction in infertile women.