title: Intravaginal foreign body retained for a long duration.
abstract: An intravaginal foreign body of long duration can pose a diagnostic dilemma, since a number of diagnostic modalities may fail to detect its existence. We present the case of an 8-year-old girl who suffered from a bloody, malodorous vaginal discharge for over 4 years, during which time she had been evaluated by several gynecologists. A vaginal examination performed under analgesia revealed a pinpoint-sized opening 2 cm above the hymen. We inserted a cannula and injected radio-opaque contrast medium. An intravaginal filling defect was visible, which strongly suggested the presence of a foreign body. An incision through this scarred area was performed and two foreign bodies, one shaped like a plastic tube and the other a cap, were removed. We conclude that vaginography may provide an alternative diagnostic tool for this condition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chou
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D011859:Radiography; D013997:Time Factors; D014621:Vagina / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging