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Published on: September 11, 2018
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.
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.
Abstract:
The self-introduction of batteries into the vagina is exceedingly infrequent among preadolescents, with only six cases have been recorded in the English-language PubMed-indexed literature. Herein, we present the case of a five-year-old female child who presented with an 18-month history of recurrent ill-smelling vaginal discharge. Pelvic radiograph displayed a radio-opaque object, most likely representing a disk battery inside her vagina. Vaginoscopy showed a 1.2 cm disk battery that was removed from the right posterior vaginal fornix. Four weeks later, the child was doing well and symptom-free. Although rare, vaginal foreign bodies should be considered in the differential diagnosis in preadolescent girls presenting with chronic and recurrent vaginal discharge. Vaginoscopy is a useful tool diagnostically and therapeutically. A clinical summary of all PubMed-indexed cases of batteries as vaginal FBs in children is provided (n=6).
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