ABSTRACT
Neisseria gonorrhoeae and/or Chlamydia trachomatis are the prime initiators of diseases that ultimately produce a pelvic abscess; however, cultures of a pelvic abscess rarely yield these organisms. The principal bacteria isolated from pelvic abscesses include members of the Enterobacteriaceae, the Peptostreptococci, the Peptococci, and the Bacteroidaceae. The high incidence of negative cultures or so-called “sterile abscesses” primarily tends to reflect the lack of skill in taking anaerobic cultures and/or suboptimal microbiology.
