Chlamydial endometritis. A histological and immunohistochemical analysis.

A series of 90 endometrial biopsies and curettings originally diagnosed as chronic endometritis were reviewed and histological findings of plasma cells, lymphoid infiltrate, stromal necrosis, acute inflammation, lymphoid follicles, and epithelial atypia were correlated with the demonstration of chlamydial antigens by the immunoperoxidase technique. Chlamydial antigens were localized within endometrial epithelial cells in four cases. Although these four cases represented only 4% of the total number, chlamydial immunoperoxidase positivity was best discriminated by the severity of the inflammation and the presence of an acute inflammatory infiltrate. Among cases of severe endometritis 22% were chlamydia-positive, and in those cases with an associated acute inflammatory infiltrate, 57% were positive. A high index of suspicion of chlamydial infection should exist when severe endometritis is diagnosed in patients with clinical histories of post-abortal state, pelvic inflammatory disease, secondary infertility or menometrorrhagia, and chronic pelvic pain.