Sharp penetrating injuries to the hymen

Abstract

Study Objective: To describe the features of sharp penetrating injuries of the hymen and by using illustrative cases to describe how the appearance of such injuries differs from injuries caused by blunt penetrating trauma.Design and Participants: Four illustrative case reports of children who sustained genital injuries caused by sharp objects, as suggested by the physical findings and corroborated by the history in all four cases as provided by the patient and witnesses to the accidents.Setting: The patients were seen by the Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology Service at the University of Tennessee, Memphis.Interventions: One patient required surgical repair of an accompanying vaginal laceration. The hymeneal injuries healed by secondary intention.Results: All injuries healed without complications. Fenestration of the hymen was noted in the three patients in whom the injury involved only the hymeneal tissue. In all four patients the hymeneal edge remained intact.Conclusions: Sharp penetrating injury to the hymen has a typical appearance different from that caused by blunt penetrating trauma.