The physician performs a pelvic exam, which reveals the presence of an abnormal thin, watery vaginal discharge and inflammation of the cervix. The physician then palpates the abdomen (examines by touch and pressure) and finds that the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries are enlarged and tender. The physician takes a swab sample of the cervix and sends it to the laboratory to determine the causal organism. Light microscopy and simple staining of the sample in the lab reveal an organism with a very unique life cycle. The organism is classified as gram-negative, but it stains very poorly compared to other classic gram-negative STI pathogens. The stain shows both a nonreplicating, extracellular infectious elementary body and a replicating, noninfectious reticulate body inside mucosal cells from the cervical epithelium swab. Based on the symptoms and these new laboratory findings, what would be the most likely diagnosis for the patient?
