Disk Battery as a Vaginal Foreign Body in a Five-Year-Old Preadolescent Child

Daniah Al-Oufi1, Huwidah Mohammad Alkharboush1, Nadia Dawood Younis1

  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, East Jeddah General Hospital, Jeddah, SAU.

Cureus
|April 12, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Vaginal foreign bodies, like disk batteries, are rare in preadolescent girls but can cause chronic discharge. Early diagnosis via vaginoscopy is crucial for effective treatment and symptom resolution.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Gynecology
  • Emergency Medicine

Background:

  • Vaginal foreign bodies (FBs) are uncommon in preadolescent children.
  • Disk batteries are a rare but serious type of vaginal FB.

Observation:

  • A 5-year-old girl presented with an 18-month history of recurrent, foul-smelling vaginal discharge.
  • Pelvic radiography revealed a radio-opaque object consistent with a disk battery in the vagina.

Findings:

  • Vaginoscopy successfully identified and removed a 1.2 cm disk battery from the vaginal fornix.
  • The child recovered well and remained symptom-free four weeks post-procedure.

Implications:

  • Vaginal foreign bodies, particularly batteries, should be considered in the differential diagnosis of chronic vaginal discharge in preadolescent girls.
  • Vaginoscopy is an effective diagnostic and therapeutic tool for managing vaginal FBs in this population.

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