Are there other causes of tubo-ovarian abscess formation other than sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)?
Yes. Tubo-ovarian abscesses can form after other situations: • following any pelvic surgery • uterine perforation at time of a D&C or any vaginal uterine procedure • bowel perforation from ruptured appendicitis • bowel perforation from ruptured diverticulitis • pelvic malignancy Even if the abscess is due to causes other than STDs, the clinical course is the same. How will the doctor know if an infection has progressed to an abscess? On pelvic exam, the doctor can often feel an abscess swelling. If the abscess is acute, a woman usually has a fever and an elevated white blood count (WBC). If it is chronic, she may not. Ultrasound is the best imaging study to use to detect an abscess although sometimes a CAT scan is used. In general, if the abscess cavity is over 8 cm in size (over 3 inches) , it is likely that surgery will be needed to treat the abscess because antibiotic treatment alone is not very successful when the abscess is that large. What is the treatment for a tubo-ovarian absc
