Ligneous (pseudomembranous) inflammation of the female genital tract. A report of two cases.

Abstract

Two women, aged 28 and 32, presented with primary infertility and severe dysmenorrhea. The younger woman developed recalcitrant and recurrent firm vaginal, cervical and possibly endometrial lesions over a period of six years; the older patient had similar material in the cervix, endometrium and a fallopian tube. The lesions were composed of amorphous eosinophilic hyaline or necrotic material, shown by histochemical and immunoperoxidase stains to be partly fibrin. Pathologic examination showed that the lesions were similar to those of ligneous (pseudomembranous) conjunctivitis, a rare disease that may occasionally affect the lower female genital tract. However, neither patient had eye disease, and ligneous conjunctivitis has not previously been reported to involve the upper genital tract. Endometrial and tubal involvement could readily explain primary infertility and dysmenorrhea in these patients.