Acquired gynaetresia in Ibadan

Acquired atresia of the vagina is much less common than the congenital type, but more frequent in the tropics than in the developed countries (Lawson and Stewart, 1967). This is because most of the causes which include chemical vaginitis (Frith, 1960), female circumcision (Mustafa, 1966) and birth injuries (Lawson and Stewart, 1967) are largely confined to the tropics, due to poverty, ignorance and lack of good medical facilities. In the developed parts of the world, acquired gynatresia is rare, and perhaps follow mainly colporrhaphies and intra-vaginal irradiation from treatment of pelvic malignancies, (Patterson and Rhodes 1958, Whitely, 1964). In Ibadan, Nigeria, however, by far the commonest cause of vaginal atresia is chemical vaginitis from vaginal insertion of local caustic pessaries, for the treatment of certain gynaecological problems. This paper is, therefore, designed to highlight the clinical presentation of acquired gynaetresia as seen in Ibadan with particular emphasis on its incidence, causation, symptomatology and operative management.