Intravaginal Foreign Body: A Rare Cause of Persistent Vaginal Discharge in a Child
Abstract
Vaginal discharge is a common gynaecologic complaint in pre-menarchal girls. However, an intravaginal foreign body (FB) must be suspected when it is persistent. We report the case of a referred 4-year-old girl with a 5-month history of persistent foul-smelling vaginal discharge. Clinical examination confirmed purulent vaginal discharge, along with a vaginal granuloma. A hard, intravaginal object was felt through the anterior rectal wall on digital rectal examination. A plain pelvic X-ray revealed a radiopaque object whose intravaginal position was confirmed by ultrasonography. The patient underwent granuloma excision plus FB removal and antibiotic treatment. The 12‑month follow‑up was unremarkable.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Ureteral procedures and complications
Foreign Body Medical Cases
Urinary and Genital Oncology Studies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- African Journal of Paediatric Surgery
- Publisher
- Association of Paediatric Surgeons of Nigeria
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 207–209
- Publication date
- 26 May 2026