Resolution of Hematocolpos in Adolescents Affected with Graft vs Host Disease.

BACKGROUND: Bone marrow transplantation is a lifesaving procedure for a range of serious benign or malignant hematological conditions. A proportion of patients, however, will develop graft vs host disease (GVHD), acute or chronic, with serious long-term sequalae. CASES: We present 2 cases of hematocolpos that developed in adolescence because of vaginal synechiae due to GVHD. The condition was initially asymptomatic, resolved spontaneously at first and recurred. In 1 girl blunt lysis of the adhesions was performed with the patient under general anesthesia, followed thereafter by local hydrocortisone and estriol treatment. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION: Genital symptoms might not be readily reported by adolescents after bone marrow transplantation. Physicians should be aware of possible late effects of GVHD on genitalia, inquire about symptoms, and be acquainted with addressing complications, such as vaginal obstruction.

Application of Creatsas vaginoplasty after radical surgical treatment of sarcoma botryoides.

BACKGROUND: Sarcoma botryoides of the female genital tract is a rare malignancy. For many years, treatment consisted of radical procedures involving removal of the vagina, cervix, and uterus. Reconstructive surgery is essential for these patients, in order to achieve vaginal penetrative sexual intercourse. CASE: A 17-year-old adolescent, with medical history of surgical excision of uterus and vagina at the age of 2, due to sarcoma botryoides, underwent Creatsas vaginoplasty. A neovagina with adequate dimensions to allow comfortable sexual intercourse was created, without the need for postoperative dilations and without any complications. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS: Creatsas vaginoplasty can be safely performed in patients with medical history of radical pelvic surgery, while other more invasive techniques may carry an increased risk of intra- or postoperative complications.

Evaluation and management of adolescent amenorrhea.

During the first years of menstruation it is not rare for a girl to present with an irregular menstrual pattern. The complete absence or cessation of menses, which is defined as amenorrhea, requires careful evaluation and management. It is divided into primary and secondary types that describe the occurrence of amenorrhea before and after menarche, respectively. The list of causes is long and includes anatomical or functional anomalies of the genital tract, hormonal disorders, and multifactorial reasons. The most common causes are hypothalamic amenorrhea, polycystic ovarian syndrome, hyperprolactinemia, and ovarian failure. A thorough medical history and careful clinical examination of the young girl is absolutely essential. The distinction between primary and secondary amenorrhea, together with the presence, or not, of secondary sexual characteristic development will guide the physician to the differential diagnosis of amenorrhea. Essential laboratory examinations include follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and prolactin measurements; while in the presence of acne or hirsutism, androgen levels should also be measured. Management should focus on the restoration of ovulatory cycles and the prevention of short- and long-term consequences of hormonal imbalance.

Menstrual disturbances in puberty.

The most significant corporal change observed in adolescent girls is the onset of menstruation, which occurs between 12 and 13 years of age. In several cases, described with the term 'precocious puberty', pubertal development can begin at a significantly younger age. The term 'delayed puberty' refers to absence of pubertal development in a girl over the age of 14. Amenorrhoea can occur due to a broad spectrum of causes, such as anatomic deficiencies of the reproductive tract and hormonal disorders. Hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism, which implies a permanent malfunction in gonadotrophin secretion; hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism, which involves poor ovarian response in gonadotrophin stimulation; and hyperprolactinaemia can also lead to amenorrhoea. Significant amount of stress on the adolescent girl can cause hypothalamic dysfunction, leading to a situation called 'hypothalamic amenorrhoea'. Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB), and especially the subtype of dysfunctional uterine bleeding (DUB), is the most urgent gynaecological problem during adolescence, while dysmenorrhoea (also referred to as painful menstruation) is the most frequent problem for which adolescents and their parents refer to a physician.

Vaginal foreign body in childhood: A multidisciplinary approach.

A 5-year-old girl referred to our division for evaluation of persisting foul-smelling brown vaginal discharge with pruritus for over 2 years, not corresponding to antibiotic therapy. Transabdominal ultrasound identified a heterogeneous mass intensely fixed in the upper third of vaginal wall. Vaginography revealed a filling defect in the upper part of vagina, confirming the diagnosis of an intravaginal foreign body. The foreign body was grasped and removed by traction; it turned out to be a thin double-wrapped piece of sponge. Psychological assessment of the girl was undertaken, in order to illuminate the potential of an underlying emotional and behavioural problem and revealed the existence of psychological disturbances mostly affecting social competence and adaptiveness.