Vaginal burn from alkaline battery in an 8-year-old

Amy Elizabeth Swanson, Kelly Griffin, Rohan Brent, Beverley Janine Vollenhoven

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleOther

13 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: Life-threatening injury from battery ingestion has mandated changes in the manufacture of battery-operated devices. Whilst esophageal burns are commonly publicized, there is scarce literature on vaginal burns and their potential morbidity. Case: An 8-year-old girl presented with self-report of a "fluffy toy" per vagina. Under general anesthesia, her vagina was examined and the mucosa appeared coated in a "blue fur." It was soon identified as corrosive damage from an alkaline button battery. Fistula and rectal injury were excluded. Symptomatic relief was achieved with the use of estradiol lidocaine intravaginal concoction following removal. Summary and Conclusions: Optimal management of a vaginal foreign body relies upon clinical suspicion, familiarity with prepubertal vaginal instrumentation, and expeditious removal of inserted batteries to avoid serious morbidity.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)e99-e100
Number of pages2
JournalJournal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology
Volume28
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Aug 2015

Keywords

  • Battery
  • Burn
  • Pediatric
  • Vagina

Cite this