In 50 patients with a provisional diagnosis of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), CA 125 concentrations in serum were measured before laparoscopy and during hospitalization, using an enzyme immunoassay. The findings at laparoscopy were graded on the basis of the extent of inflammatory peritoneal involvement (grades 0-3; normal observations having a score of 0). On admission, 66% of the patients had serum CA 125 concentrations in excess of the cut-off value of 16 U/ml (range: 20-1300 U/ml). The serum CA 125 concentration before laparoscopy correlated with the extent of inflammatory peritoneal involvement (eta = 0.74). The predictive value of an elevated serum CA 125 level to indicate the presence of salpingitis (grades 1-3) was 97%. However, the predictive value of a normal CA 125 level indicating normal observations at laparoscopy (grade 0) was only 47%. During treatment and follow-up, the serum CA 125 concentration returned gradually to normal levels. It was concluded that the finding of an elevated serum CA 125 level confirms the diagnosis of peritoneal involvement in patients with a clinical diagnosis of PID.

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A randomized double-blind prospective study on the efficacy of single-dose antibiotic prophylaxis compared cefuroxime versus metronidazole versus the combination of both agents in vaginal hysterectomy. Overall antibiotic prophylaxis was effective in abscess prevention (one abscess in 68 patients). In the metronidazole group a significantly higher grade of morbidity was observed: febrile morbidity 41% versus 4% in the two other groups; bacteriuria 73% versus 17% in the cefuroxime group, versus 13% in the combined group; urinary tract infection 23%, versus 0% in the two other groups; post-operative prescription of antibiotics 41%, versus 0% in the two other groups. Febrile morbidity and bacteriuria correlated positively with Escherichia coli and Proteus spp. These micro-organisms were recovered significantly more often from the vagina of patients in the metronidazole group. Cefuroxime was successful, metronidazole failed in the prevention of minor morbidity. We could not observe any effect from the addition of metronidazole to the cefuroxime prophylaxis.