Pelvic inflammatory disease, often referred to as PID, is a condition in women that is characterized by inflammation of the pelvic cavity. It affects the endometrium (lining of the uterus or womb), the fallopian tubes, the pelvic peritoneum (lining of the lower abdominal cavity), and other structures. PID is caused by the spread of bacteria from the vagina to the pelvic cavity.
Symptoms of PID include lower abdominal pain, vaginal discharge, fever, nausea, and vomiting. Severe infection may require hospitalization or even surgery. However, many patients have few or no symptoms. In such cases, physicians may not discover the infection until much later, when the woman is unable to become pregnant. PID can block the fallopian tubes, thereby causing infertility or ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancy is a potentially life-threatening condition that occurs when a fertilized egg starts developing in a fallopian tube instead of in the uterus.
PID is usually acquired through sexual intercourse. The bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae or Chlamydia trachomatis cause many cases of PID, but other vaginal bacteria, particularly anaerobic bacteria (bacteria that thrive in a low-oxygen environment), are also associated with it. Bacterial vaginosis, a common infection that is not sexually transmitted, may predispose women to PID. Once PID is diagnosed, physicians treat it with antibiotics.
