Pelvic inflammatory disease in the postmenopausal woman.

OBJECTIVE Review available literature on pelvic inflammatory disease in postmenopausal women. DESIGN MEDLINE literature review from 1966 to 1999. RESULTS Pelvic inflammatory disease is uncommon in postmenopausal women. It is polymicrobial, often is concurrent with tuboovarian abscess formation, and is often associated with other diagnoses. CONCLUSION Postmenopausal women with pelvic inflammatory disease are best treated with inpatient parenteral antimicrobials and appropriate imaging studies. Failure to respond to antibiotics should yield a low threshold for surgery, and consideration of alternative diagnoses should be entertained.