Role of D-dimer testing in severe pelvic inflammatory disease: a new usable marker to assess the need for fertility-impairing surgery?

Fertil Steril. 2010 Nov;94(6):2372-5. Epub 2010 May 14. Role of D-dimer testing in severe pelvic inflammatory disease: a new usable marker to assess the need for fertility-impairing surgery? Franchi L, Patrelli TS, Berretta R, Rolla M, Gizzo S, Gramellini D, Bacchi Modena A, Nardelli GB. SourceDepartment of Maternal and Child Health, OB/GYN Unit, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. Abstract Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), like many other inflammatory diseases, can be characterized by an inflammation-induced activation of the coagulation cascade, resulting in the production of D-dimers. In this study it is demonstrated how high levels of D-dimers, assayed at the time of hospitalization, are encountered in patients diagnosed with PID and how the levels of this parameter are significantly higher in patients, which due to the severity of the disease, needed surgical treatment. Therefore the d-dimer is shown to be an important parameter to be considered in the therapeutic counseling of severe forms of PID