Pelvic inflammatory disease in the postmenopausal woman.
OBJECTIVE
Review available literature on pelvic inflammatory disease in postmenopausal women.


METHODS
MEDLINE literature review from 1966 to 1999.


RESULTS
Pelvic inflammatory disease is uncommon in postmenopausal women. It is polymicrobial, often is concurrent with tuboovarian abscess formation, and is often associated with other diagnoses.


CONCLUSIONS
Postmenopausal women with pelvic inflammatory disease are best treated with inpatient parenteral antimicrobials and appropriate imaging studies. Failure to respond to antibiotics should yield a low threshold for surgery, and consideration of alternative diagnoses should be entertained.
Jackson
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Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425, USA. jacksosu@musc.edu
Soper
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DE
D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008875:Middle Aged; D000292:Pelvic Inflammatory Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017698:Postmenopause; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents