Patient's question:
BR>Feeling well, I had an ultrasound during a routine check-up, and the doctor said it was appendicitis, but didn't mention any medication. What part of the body gets inflamed in appendicitis? Does it affect menstruation?Doctor's answer:
Since the fallopian tubes are adjacent to the ovaries, when the fallopian tubes become inflamed, they are generally referred to as adnexa along with the ovaries. Therefore, inflammation of the fallopian tubes and ovaries is called adnexitis. Chronic adnexitis is very common, often developing from an acute inflammatory process that then becomes chronic. In some cases, the acute inflammatory process may not be apparent, and the condition is already chronic upon discovery.The causes of adnexitis include:
(1) Often caused by infections following childbirth or miscarriage.
(2) Sometimes associated with minor surgical procedures performed with non-sterile techniques, such as the insertion of an intrauterine device (IUD), fallopian tube flushing, oil contrast imaging, orD&C surgery. In these cases, pathogens can enter the fallopian tubes from the uterine cavity. Sometimes, pathogens that have already colonized the cervix or vagina can ascend to the fallopian tubes during surgical procedures.
(3) Early or frequent sexual activity, as well as sexual intercourse during menstruation, can also lead to infection and cause fallopian tube inflammation.
As a result of these causes, acute fallopian tube inflammation often leads to inflammatory secretions leaking out through the fimbriae of the fallopian tubes, affecting the ovaries and causing peri-ovarian inflammation. The fallopian tubes and ovaries then become adhered to each other, eventually forming chronic adnexitis.
After inflammation occurs in the fallopian tubes, the mucosal or serosal layers often develop multiple adhesions, which may block the fallopian tube openings or obstruct the lumen. Since most adnexitis is bilateral, it often results in infertility.