IS THERE A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OCCLUSION S OF THE FALLOPIAN-TUBES WITH CHRONIC SALPINGITIS AND UROGENITAL CHLAMYDIAL INFECTIONS

A prospective study was performed to analyse the relationship between urogenital infections caused by Chlamydia trachomatis and occlusions o f the fallopian tubes with histologically confirmed chronic salpingiti s and salpingitis isthmica nodosa. 110 infertile patients were tested for C. trachomatis infection. 23 patients with tubal occlusions and hi stologically confirmed chronic salpingitis (group 1) and eight patient s with salpingitis isthmica nodosa (group 2) were compared to 13 patie nts with tubal occlusions after tuboligation (group 3), and to 66 pati ents with patent fallopian tubes as demonstrated by laparoscopy or hys terosalpingography (group 4). The prevalence of infections of the endo cervix or urethra and the presence of Chlamydia in urine was low in al l four groups. However, in groups 1 and 2, the median Chlamydia IgG an d IgA serum antibody titres were significantly higher (p less-than-or- equal-to 0.0002) than in groups 3 and 4. This result illustrates the a ssociation between urogenital infections with Chlamydia and tubal occl usions with histologically documented chronic salpingitis and salpingi tis isthmica nodosa.