Doctors Remove Foreign Body from a 3-year-old Girl Vagina 

Chennai, July 22^nd, 2022: A 3 -year-old girl from Chennaiwas brought to the outpatient department of Dr Mehta’s Hospitals, Chennai by her mother, with the history of recurrent white discharge associated with itching and foul smell from Vagina for almost six months. During physical examination, no abnormalities was seen. However, a rectal digital examination supported the strong clinical suspicion of retained foreign body in the vagina. Ultrasound showed the possibility of a long cylindrical shape foreign body in the vagina close to the right fornix proximally. 

Doctors team spearheaded by Dr. Balamourougane, Senior Consultant Paediatric Surgery, Dr Mehta’s hospitals decided to perform Examination under anesthesia (EUA) with diagnostic vaginoscopy, a procedure to examine the vagina using endoscope. Doctors found a pencil battery lodged in the vagina.  A 5-cm pencil battery was removed in toto from the right posterior vaginal fornix without active bleeding. There was blanching of mucosa at right fornix with no obvious breach or fistula. Post the procedure the child was fine, and Child will be subjected to a check if the need arises after 2 or 3 months.

Foreign Body Ingestion like coin, battery, magnet, crayons are common among children and foreign bodies in vagina are not commonly seen moreover insertion of pencil battery into the vagina is rarely reported said Dr. Balamourougane, Senior Consultant Paediatric Surgery, Dr Mehta’s hospitals. Clinical Surgeon, prompt identification and gentle removal of foreign body in the vagina are essential to prevent further injury and reduce the risk of long-term complications. Patients with recurrent retained foreign bodies may need additional counselling added Dr Balamourougane. 

Unexplained vaginal discharge should raise the suspicion for a possible foreign body. This case was high risk because the foreign body was in vagina for long period and the symptoms was unnoticed by the parents. The multidisciplinary team involved in this case was the key to the successful treatment of the child said, Dr Balamourougane