Anal/anogenital lesion revealing child sexual abuse: A case series of an unusual situation in a black African setting

Abstract

IntroductionChild sexual abuse (CSA) remains a big taboo in black Africa with an underestimated prevalence. In our context, the majority of cases are known by revelations of the child at least one year after the facts. Presentation of casesWe report three cases of CSA revealed by an anal/anogenital lesion requiring surgery. All of these patients were female with ages ranging from 20 months to 8 years. The lesions encountered were: an anal abscess, a fissure-in-ano with permanent anal mucosal eversion and a complex perineal tear including partial anal sphincter rupture with partial section of the rectovaginal septum. The outcome was favorable in all cases after surgery. The abuser was subsequently able to be identified after the statements of two of these three children. DiscussionDetection of anogenital lesions during a pediatric consultation should make practitioners aware of the possibility of sexual abuse. Surgical repair of these lesions can be simple or complex, requiring major reconstructions. In such cases, it’s important to listening to the child’s voice. ConclusionAnogenital lesions discovered during pediatric consultation must evoke sexual abuse. The silence and the taboo surrounding these abuses in Africa must be break down.