title: Persistent vaginal bleeding in a patient with a broken Implanon.
abstract: A 29-year-old woman with an Implanon contraceptive device in situ presented with persistent and prolonged vaginal bleeding. The implant had been inserted 2 years previously; the patient had been happy with it and had been mainly amenorrhoeic with the occasional light period. She was concerned that the implant had broken during a game of 'rough and tumble' with her son in August 2000. Since the trauma to her arm her bleeding pattern had changed, and she began bleeding heavily for 3 weeks every month. The rod was removed and found to be fractured halfway across its width. A new Implanon device was inserted and the bleeding settled.
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Health, Lewisham Primary Care Trust, London, UK. s.pickard@macunlimited.net
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pickard
authors.forename: Lesley
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bacon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003271:Contraceptive Agents, Female / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017135:Desogestrel; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008595:Menorrhagia / Q000209:etiology*; D008599:Menstruation Disturbances / Q000209:etiology; D014753:Vinyl Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D003271:Contraceptive Agents, Female; D014753:Vinyl Compounds; C044815:etonogestrel; D017135:Desogestrel