women s health issues
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
Diagnosis of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
A doctor's evaluation Tests on a sample taken from the cervix Sometimes ultrasonography or laparoscopy Doctors suspect pelvic inflammatory disease if women have pain in the lower abdomen or if they have an unexplained discharge from the vagina, particularly if they are of childbearing age or if the discharge contains pus. A physical examination, including a Pelvic Examination , is done. Pain felt in the pelvic area during the pelvic examination supports the diagnosis. A sample is usually taken from the cervix with a swab and tested to determine whether the woman has gonorrhea or chlamydia. Even if these tests do not detect gonorrhea or chlamydia, women may still have pelvic inflammatory disease. Ultrasonography of the pelvis is done if pain prevents an adequate physical examination or if more information is needed. It can detect abscesses in the fallopian tubes or ovaries and a tubal pregnancy. A pregnancy test is done to see whether the woman may have a tubal pregnancy, which could be the cause of the symptoms. Other symptoms and laboratory test results help confirm the diagnosis. If the diagnosis is still uncertain or if the woman does not respond to treatment, the doctor may insert a viewing tube ( Laparoscopy ) through a small incision near the navel to view the inside of the abdomen and to obtain a sample of fluids for testing. This procedure can usually confirm or rule out pelvic inflammatory disease. 