Spontaneous Streptococcus pyogenes pelvic inflammatory disease; Case report and review of the literature

Streptococcus pyogenes gynecological infections generally occur in association with childbirth, intra-uterine devices, and other invasive gynecologic procedures, but rarely cause spontaneous pelvic inflammatory disease. We describe a case of a healthy young woman with spontaneous S. pyogenes pelvic inflammatory disease, bacteremia, and shock, and summarize an additional 13 cases found in the literature. The majority were bacteremic and a significant number were also hypotensive. The same proportion had presenting gastrointestinal symptoms as had genitourinary symptoms, masking the diagnosis in many. Many prior case reports postulate a connection with S. pyogenes pharyngitis in a close contact, and an oro-genital route of transmission has been proposed given the exceedingly low rates of genital colonization with S. pyogenes. A high index of suspicion is needed for an accurate and timely diagnosis of this rare but potentially fatal condition.