[Acute gonococcal salpingitis].

The authors describe their experience in handling cases of acute salpingitis in a retrospective study that lasted six years. The protocol of investigation in particular consisted in routine laparoscopy and a complete bacteriological investigation. 266 patients had laparoscopy on suspicion of salpingitis and the diagnosis was confirmed in 199 cases (64.8%). Out of the 134 patients who were fully explored bacteriologically and kept in the study the principal group consisted of cases of gonococcal salpingitis (41.8%), whereas 29.8% of the cases had infection with opportunistic pathogens and 28.3% were of doubtful aetiology or where no bacteria were discovered. The figures for recovery of gonococcal bacteria were constant throughout the six years of the study. Gonococcal salpingitis occurred more often in younger women (the mean age was 24.4 years). The signs that were statistically most frequent were: discharge, metrorrhagia and a raised sedimentation rate. The differences that concerned the epidemiology of the cases as well as the clinical and bacteriological data as given in our series and in the literature are presented and discussed.