Toxic Shock Syndrome within 24 H of an Office Hysteroscopy

Septic shock following hysteroscopy - A case report

Introduction

Minimally invasive gynecological surgery such as hysteroscopy has a small risk of complications. These include uterine perforation (with or without adjacent pelvic organ lesion), bleeding and infection, and are more common in the presence of risk factors such as smoking, history of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and endometriosis.

Case Presentation

A patient submitted to a diagnostic hysteroscopy with no immediate complications was admitted five days later to the emergency department in septic shock. The diagnosis of ruptured tubal abscess was made, requiring emergency laparotomy with sub-total hysterectomy and bilateral adnexectomy. Despite multiple organ failure requiring admission to the intensive care unit, the patient made a full recovery.

Conclusion

Ascending infection can be a life-threatening complication of hysteroscopy, even in the absence of previously known risk factors.

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Septic shock can be a serious complication of office hysteroscopy.

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Ascending infection can occur even with no prior history of sexual intercourse.

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Patient awareness of alarm signs is key in preventing complications.

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Prompt recognition and treatment of sepsis are needed to avoid morbidity.

Ovarian necrosis due to S. pyogenes septic thrombophlebitis: A case report

The incidence of systemic infection attributed to group A streptococci (GAS) is increasing, mainly in postpartum women. Such infections require multidisciplinary management and prompt treatment, but an atypical presentation can delay diagnosis. We report the case of a 24-year-old woman admitted to the emergency department for evaluation. She had acute abdominal pain and fever 18 h after insertion of a levonorgestrel intrauterine device (IUD). She had a normal vaginal delivery 45 days earlier, and no other significant medical background. In a few hours the symptoms worsened, with rapid progression towards multiorgan failure. Differential diagnoses of late ovarian thrombophlebitis and ovarian torsion were considered. Laparoscopic surgery revealed the absence of ovarian torsion. The microbiologic culture of the IUD showed colonization by GAS. The sudden onset of shock-like symptoms in a postpartum woman with rapid progression towards multiorgan failure should prompt consideration of a diagnosis of GAS infection, so that appropriate treatment can be initiated to avoid the possible fatal consequences of this aggressive infection.