[Intestinal complications of the IUD].

A case of intestinal stenosis due to uterine infection from an immured Lippes loop is presented. The woman was a 32-year-old mother of 3 with a normal gynecologic history. She had a painful swollen abdomen, a football-sized mass anterior to the rectum, and a hypertrophied cervix. Biopsy by rectoscopy revealed an atrophied rectal mucosa. Barium emema showed rectal stenosis at the beginning of the sigmoid, and an elongated IUD, which the patient had worn for 3 years but had failed to mention (along with her metrorrhagia of 3 weeks' duration). After 2 days the patient had become oliguric, feverish (40.5 degrees C.), with a tender pelvis and a purulent cervix, so antibiotics (gentalline and terramycin with ice) were prescribed. 2 days later a celioscopy showed congested uterus and tubes, pelvoperitonitis, but no neoplasm. The IUD could not be removed. Antibiotics (flabelline) and antiinflammatory drugs (tanderil and solupred) were continued until the infection subsided.