Imperforate hymen is rare, with a low incidence of 1/16,000–30,000 in newborns. Most symptoms occur because of the accumulation of menstrual blood after puberty. In rare cases it can be found before puberty. Periodic abdominal pain, discomfort of the pelvic region, and the like are most commonly observed, and these symptoms increase at bowel movement. Usually a 13- to 15-year-old girl does not experience menarche. Continuous accumulation of menstrual blood leads to vaginal hematoma, or even to hysterovaginal, ovarian, or abdominal hematomas. Rarely, compression of the surrounding tissues can result in upper back pain, dysuria, frequent urination, or oliguria. We report on a rare case of imperforate hymen with urinary retention.
Abdominal Pain ; Adolescent ; Back Pain ; Dysuria ; Female ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Hymen* ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Menarche ; Oliguria ; Pelvis ; Puberty* ; Urinary Retention* ; Urination

Microperforate hymen is a rare vaginal anomaly that is usually reported in childhood due to recurrent urogenital infections. Unlike imperforate hymen where the presenting complaints are classical due to complete vaginal obstruction, the less profound and varied presentation of microperforate hymen may go unnoticed. We report a case of a 39-year-old, with a background history of amenorrhea, who presented with acute abdomen suggestive of tubo-ovarian abscess, and was finally diagnosed to have microperforate hymen. She underwent hymenectomy to correct the anomaly. To our knowledge, this is the oldest age of presentation of a congenital form of microperforate hymen. A high index of suspicion and early detection of microperforate hymen and properly timed intervention is essential to prevent acute symptoms and long term detrimental sequalae to women’s reproductive and psychosexual health
congenital anomalies ; imperforate hymen ; microperforate hymen ; surgical correction ; tubo-ovarian abscess

Children who have been raped some years back may have hymenal scars. However, medical professionals are not accustomed in assessing these scars because of the lack of experience in performing physical examinations of the external genitalia of children who suffered from rape some years back. Moreover, the importance of physical examination of the victim's external genitalia is sometimes overlooked. Two cases of rape victims with hymenal scars who visited Daegu Child Sexual Abuse Response Center several years after their first sexual abuse along with a literature review are presented here.
Child Abuse, Sexual ; Child* ; Cicatrix* ; Daegu ; Female ; Genitalia ; Humans ; Hymen* ; Physical Examination ; Rape* ; Sex Offenses

Neonatal hydrocolpos is a rare condition that involves fluid accumulation in the vagina. On diagnostic imaging, the dilated vagina, along with the compressed uterus, can simulate a mature cystic teratoma with a mural nodule. Herein, we report the case of a newborn girl with congenital hydrocolpos that was caused by an imperforate hymen; the hydrocolpos mimicking a mature cystic teratoma on abdominal ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging. Any newborn girl with a pelvic cystic mass should be suspected as having a congenital vaginal obstruction manifesting as hydrocolpos or hydrometrocolpos. Thorough examination of the external genitalia, as well as imaging of the uterus and vagina, enables correct diagnosis and optimal treatment.
Diagnosis ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Female ; Genitalia ; Humans ; Hydrocolpos* ; Hymen ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pelvis* ; Teratoma* ; Ultrasonography ; Uterus ; Vagina

We report the case of a 14-year-old girl who visited the emergency room because of suprapubic discomfort and sudden acute urinary retention. She did not have any significant medical and surgical history, and her neurological examinations were all normal. Urinary catheterization led to the passage of 500 mL urine. Abdominal ultrasonography showed a hematocolpos that was compressing the urinary bladder. Gynecologic history taking revealed that the patient has not had menarche yet. Therefore, a cruciate incision was performed and her urination became normal. As the surgical outcome after adequate hymenotomy for imperforate hymen is usually good, the diagnosis of imperforate hymen is important. However, this condition is easily missed in the clinic because the first physician visited by the patient rarely takes a detailed gynecologic history or performs appropriate physical examinations. Although rare, imperforate hymen should be considered as a cause of acute urinary retention in the adolescence period. If an adolescent girl presents with abdominal pain and voiding dysfunction, a detailed gynecologic history and appropriate physical examinations of the genital introitus should be performed.
Abdominal Pain ; Adolescent* ; Diagnosis ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Hematocolpos* ; Humans ; Hymen* ; Menarche ; Neurologic Examination ; Physical Examination ; Ultrasonography ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Catheterization ; Urinary Catheters ; Urinary Retention* ; Urination

A teenaged female was found dead in front of a three story building. Blunt force injuries were found mainly in the right upper-posterior part of the body. Autopsy findings revealed basal skull fracture, multiple rib fractures of the right thoracic cage, both scapular fractures and right iliac bone fracture. Additionally, typical so-called 'tramline'bruises were bilaterally noted at buttocks. The hymen was intact, but showed mucosal hemorrhage. After the personal identity was revealed, the police could find a witness who heard the detailed description of the criminal acts from one of the suspects. According to the witness, the deceased was pushed by two other teenaged girls from the concrete fence of the roof floor after the suspects molested the genitalia of the deceased and beat on the buttocks with a wooden stick. Mathematical estimation of the height of fall based on the severity of injuries correlates with that of the three story building. Authors suggest that a careful examination of injury patterns is required to differentiate homicidal falls from suicidal or accidental ones. Furthermore, application of mathematical model might be helpful to estimate the height of falls or correlate the assumed height of fall with severity of injuries.
Accidental Falls ; Autopsy ; Buttocks ; Contusions ; Criminals ; Female ; Floors and Floorcoverings ; Forensic Pathology ; Fractures, Bone ; Genitalia ; Hemorrhage ; Homicide ; Humans ; Hymen ; Models, Theoretical ; Police ; Rib Fractures ; Skull Fractures ; Wit and Humor as Topic

Imperforate hymen is, with an incidence of 0.1%, a rare female anomaly, which can appear with symptoms such as lower abdominal pain, primary amenorrhea, dysuria, anuria, caused by retention of menstrual blood after the onset of menstruation. Generally urinary retention is caused by psychological conditions, drug effect, infection or congenital anomaly causing acute urinary obstruction. We experienced a patient with symptoms of acute urinary retention, suggesting acute urinary obstruction. The cause for the retention turned out to be an imperforated hymen, which should therefore be mentioned in the literature as a possible cause in cases suspected of urinary retention.
Abdominal Pain ; Amenorrhea ; Anuria ; Dysuria ; Female ; Humans ; Hymen ; Incidence ; Menstruation ; Retention (Psychology) ; Urinary Retention

A not so benign disease of imperforate hymen in a 20 year old who presented with acute hypogastric pain will be discussed. The diagnosis of an imperforate hymen should be made during routine neonatal pediatric examination. However, it is not unusual to see a teenage girl present with typical findings of cyclic adominal pain, urinary retention, constipation and a bulging introital mass with hematocolpos and hematometra on ultrasounds examination. Additional findings may include hematosalpinges and formation of endometrial cysts with severe pelvic adgesions. Conservative management generally includes hymenectomy with drainage of the blood and antibiotic therapy. Patients are generally discharged after 24 hours or the procedure is done as an outpatient basis with oral pain medications given. However in our case, the dilemma in terms of management of conservative versus aggressive surgery was encountered. Our patient was only 20 years old presenting with primary amenorrhea and cyclic dysmenorrhea for 7 years with the possibility of a pelvic "clean up" and the problems of premature menopause and infertility were at the back of our minds. A greater awareness of this complication should prompt clinicians to consider this entity when dealing with cases such as this one.
Human ; Female ; Young Adult ; HEMATOCOLPOS ; HEMATOMETRA ; VAGINA ; HYMEN

We report a case of spindle cell epithelioma, a so-called benign mixed tumor of the vagina. The patient was a 35-year-old nulliparous woman who presented with a polypoid mass in the posterior wall of the lower vagina just above the hymenal ring. The tumor was relatively well-defined with an expansile margin and composed of stromal-type spindle cells with a myxoid stroma arranged in short fascicles and an irregular cord-like or reticular pattern. A few glandular structures lined by cuboidal cells with squamous metaplasia were also noted. Cellular atypia was not conspicuous and mitosis was not found. We examined this tumor immunohistochemically to identify the histogenesis. The coexpression of epithelial and mesenchymal markers in stromal-type spindle cells suggested a multipotential cell origin for this tumor. The patient has been well with no signs of recurrence during the 12 months after surgery.
Adult ; Carcinoma ; Female ; Humans ; Hymen ; Metaplasia ; Mitosis ; Recurrence ; Vagina ; Vaginal Neoplasms

Diagnostic Errors ; Female ; Humans ; Hymen ; abnormalities ; Infant, Newborn