A 26-year-old woman who has had three documented episodes of pelvic inflammatory disease asks about her future fertility. According to the classical Westrom laparoscopically confirmed cohort, her approximate risk of tubal infertility is:
- A About 50 percent ✓
- B About 25 percent
- C About 10 percent
- D About 75 percent
Correct answer: A. About 50 percent
Explanation
Westrom's follow-up of women with laparoscopically verified salpingitis showed tubal infertility rates rising with each episode: roughly 10 percent after one episode, 25 percent after two, and about 50 percent after three episodes. This dose-response relationship between recurrent PID and tubal damage is the figure examined repeatedly. Option C corresponds to a single episode, and option B to two episodes.
Reference: Berek and Novak's Gynecology, 16th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.