DOPPLER FLOW CHARACTERISTICS IN PATIENTS WITH PELVIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE - RESPONDERS VERSUS NONRESPONDERS TO THERAPY

Purpose. The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the role of Doppler flow studies in predicting the response to antibiotic treatment in patients with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Methods . The resistance indices in pelvic masses of 24 patients with clinical diagnoses of PID were analyzed. Results. Twelve patients responded fa vorably to antibiotic treatment (the conservative treatment group), wh ile the other patients showed no clinical improvement and underwent su rgery (surgical treatment group). The mean resistance index in the con conservative treatment group was significantly higher (0.60 +/- 0.15) than that in the surgical treatment group (0.52 +/- 0.08; p < 0.05). Conclusions. In keeping with hyperemia of inflammation, fallopian arte rial resistance seems to decrease with the severity of PID. (C) 1998 J ohn Wiley & Sons, Inc.