Diagnosis and management of genital injuries in girls: 14-year experience

Background Pediatric patients with genital injuries are often recommended to receive an examination under general anesthesia; however, detailed clinical data of such patients are rarely reported. Methods A single-center retrospective review was conducted in 45 girls less than 16 years of age with genital injuries between January 2005 and December 2018. Results The median patient age was 5.0 years. Forty-two patients were hospitalized, of whom 38 required an examination under general anesthesia and all consequently required surgical repair. The diagnosis obtained after a thorough examination under general anesthesia was inconsistent with the diagnosis obtained at the emergency room in five patients. In 20 patients, the source of bleeding was not clarified at the time of initial examination at the emergency room; four of these patients were later revealed to have vaginal or rectal injuries that had been overlooked during the examination at the emergency room. Injuries occurring in the bathroom were the most frequent and tended to be serious. Multiple injuries were found in 10 patients. The exterior of the labia minora was the most commonly injured site, found in 18 patients. Conclusions We analyzed the clinical data of girls with genital injuries in detail, which allowed us to find a detailed classification of injured sites and the characteristics of serious cases, and to re-recognize the importance of a thorough examination under general anesthesia.