Predicting the Need for Surgery in Tubo-Ovarian Abscess: A Clinical Evaluation and External Validation of Risk Scores

The authors aimed to identify clinical and imaging factors that predict the success of conservative management for tubo-ovarian abscesses and to validate two existing risk scores. Their findings revealed that factors such as older age, larger abscess size, Gardnerella vaginalis infection, and abdominal guarding were significant predictors of surgical intervention, while the validated risk scores demonstrated poor discriminatory ability. The study highlights the need for more reliable prediction models and emphasizes the importance of external validation before clinical application.