Spectrum of diseases in female children and adolescents admitted to the obstetrics and gynecology hospital, Shanghai, between 2003 and 2017

Objective: To investigate the spectrum of diseases in female children and adolescents hospitalized for obstetric and gynecological conditions. Methods: This retrospective study included patients (age ≤19 years) admitted to the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, between January 2003 and December 2017. Their medical records – age, principal diagnosis, and treatment – were reviewed and analyzed. Diagnoses were divided into eight disease classifications. Comparison between groups was analyzed with Student's t-test. Results: This study enrolled 4,628 inpatients. The number of inpatients increased each year, especially in the groups of gynecologic tumors, pregnancy-related conditions, and disorders of the breast. The mean age was 16.33 ± 2.42 years (range: 2–19 years). Of all the inpatients, 41.9% (n = 1,939) were hospitalized for gynecologic tumors, and 85.5% (n = 1,657) of the tumors were benign. Altogether, ovarian cysts (28.66%, n = 1,325) were the most common disease observed in this group. In addition, 32.9% (n = 1,524) of the inpatients were hospitalized for pregnancy, childbirth, and puerperium; within this group, 21.9% (n = 1,014) were hospitalized for artificial abortions. Conclusions: The efforts of all stakeholders toward the implementation of government policies to promote sexual and reproductive health among children and adolescents in China have been effective.