Between 1976 and 1985 laparoscopy was performed on a total of 768 patients in whom adnexitis was suspected. In accordance with conventional usage they were initially designated as" acute" and" chronic" cases of adnexitis on the basis of clinical criteria. The tentative diagnosis of an active infection was confirmed by laparoscopy in 62.7% of the patients with the clinically acute form and 14.5% of those with" chronic" adnexitis. Although high temperature, leukocytosis, and an increased ESR were more common among patients with laparoscopically confirmed adnexitis, high levels of inflammatory reaction were also found in patients with other conditions. In 164 patients (21%) no pathological findings were found in the genital and abdominal regions. The results confirm the importance of laparoscopy in the diagnosis of adnexitis.