Pregnancies following ultrasound-guided drainage of tubo-ovarian abscess

ObjectiveTo study fertility among women treated by means of ultrasound-guided drainage and antibiotics for tubo-ovarian abscess (TOA).DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingA tertiary referral center.Patient(s)One hundred women of reproductive age treated for TOA between June 1986 and July 2003.Intervention(s)Transvaginal ultrasound-guided drainage of TOA was performed in all patients. The procedure was repeated if a substantial amount of pus was seen using ultrasonography 2–5 days after the initial aspiration, and repeated later if necessary.Main Outcome Measure(s)Frequency of naturally conceived pregnancies.Result(s)Twenty of 38 (52.6%; 95% CI 36.5–68.9%) women who intended to have a child achieved pregnancy naturally and became mothers. In addition, 7 (50%) of 14 women who were not on birth control on a regular basis became pregnant. No ectopic pregnancies were registered.Conclusion(s)Ultrasound-guided drainage of TOA in combination with antibiotics seems to preserve fertility in approximately half of the patients.