RESUMEN
The oviducts of seventy-three women undergoing sterilization by partial salpingectomy were submitted for microbiological and histologic studies. Twenty women were intrauterine device users, twenty-five women were oral contraceptive pill users and twenty-eight women used natural or barrier methods of contraception. Among intrauterine device users, there was an excess of mild and severe acute inflammatory histologic changes involving both the lumen and the tubal mucosa. Five of the eight intrauterine device users with acute inflammatory change had sterile tubal cultures.
PIP: The oviducts of 7o women undergoing sterilization by partial salpingectomy were subjected to microbiologic and histologic study. The objective was to determine whether there is a link between the histologic evidence of salpingitis and microbiological findings in the fallopian tubes of IUD users. Of the 73 subjects, 20 had been IUD users, 25 used oral contraceptives (OCs), and 28 were natural or barrier mehtod users. Microscopic examination revealed no significant differences between user groups with respect to edema, fibrosis, chronic inflammation, or granulomatous inflammation. However, acute inflammatory cells were found in the lumen and the mucosa of the right or left tube in an excess of IUD users. 5 of the 8 IUD users with acute inflammatory change had sterile tubal cultures. There were no differences between user groups with respect to the microbiologic organisms found in cervical or oviductal cultures, supporting the concept that inflammatory changes do not necessarily reflect the presence of infection. Further studies of the links between IUD use, sterile acute inflammation, and pelvic infection are recommended.