Studies in pelvic iontophoresis: I. Iontophoresis in the treatment of pelvic infections with a report of 58 cases

Abstract

1.1. Pelvic iontophoresis of a choline compound was given to 58 patients with subacute and chronic pelvic infection, all severe enough to warrant hospitalization; 37 were cases of tuboovarian infection and 21 were cases of cellulitis.2.2. Subjective improvement was generally marked, and often out of proportion to objective evidence of decrease of the infection.3.3. The results of therapy in tuboovarian infections, while often good, were not sufficiently remarkable to warrant routine use of this method of treatment. It seems clear that we cannot hope for resolution of old inflammatory tuboovarian masses, since fibrosis and multilocular cysts are a prominent part of the pathology. It may, however, be given a trial in persistent tuboovarian infections, when operative treatment is not indicated and other methods of treatment have been ineffective.4.4. The best response to iontophoresis was seen in cases of massive cellulitic infection of recent origin which had failed to yield to ordinary treatment. Pelvic iontophoresis is recommended for this type of infection.