Endoscopic ablation of longitudinal vaginal septa in prepubertal girls: A minimally invasive alternative to open resection
Received 22 September 2009; accepted 21 December 2009. published online 04 March 2010. Corrected Proof
Abstract
Introduction
Vaginal septation is a congenital defect seen in patients with persistent cloaca, urogenital sinus and disorders of Müllerian duct aplasia. Rarely, these patients present with symptoms in infancy and childhood with the exception of hydrocolpos. Treatment traditionally consists of surgical excision of the vaginal septum. We present our experience with minimally invasive endoscopic ablation of vaginal septa.
Materials and methods
We reviewed retrospectively the management of four patients with vaginal septae: Herlyn–Werner–Wunderlich syndrome (1), cloacal malformations (2), and urogenital sinus (1). All were prepubertal (aged 2–9 years). The first patient presented with hydrocolpos. The others were asymptomatic and identified during definitive reconstruction. All four underwent endoscopic ablation in ≤30 min, using a pediatric resectoscope.
Results
One of the cloacal patients developed a postoperative perineal/vestibular infection leading to urethral stenosis and currently requires intermittent catheterization. There were no other complications. Endoscopic examination under anesthesia at 6 months in all patients revealed no septal scarring or vaginal stenosis.
Conclusion
The advantage of endoscopic ablation over traditional open repair is that it is minimally invasive and can be easily performed as an outpatient procedure or at the time of definitive reconstruction. Our results suggest that endoscopic ablation should be considered as the primary approach for correction of vaginal septa.
aUniversity of Vermont, Vermont Children's Hospital, Burlington, VT, USA
bWinnipeg Children's Hospital, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
cUniversity of Washington, Seattle Children's Hospital, Division of Pediatric Urology, 4800 Sand Point Way NE, W-7729, PO Box 5371, Seattle, WA, USA
Corresponding author. University of Washington, Seattle Children's Hospital, Division of Pediatric Urology, 4800 Sand Point Way NE, W-7729, PO Box 5371, Seattle, Washington 98105, USA. Tel.: +1 206 987 5893; fax: +1 206 987 2935; page: +1 206 987 2000.
ABSTRACT