Foreign body in the immature vagina

F OREIGN body vaginitis may appear as vuIvovaginitis in chiIdren or its L symptoms may suggest cervica1 or vagina1 neoplasm. In chiIdren the symptom of Ieukorrhea or a bIood-tinged discharge shouId be investigated by a thorough peIvic investigation. This can be accompIished by a vaginoscope or a Kelly endoscope. Often there is a cIicking sound when a wire probe strikes a metaIIic foreign body in the vagina. With a history of vagina1 discharge and an impaired gait in waIking one must aIways think of foreign body in the immature vagina. This paper incIudes a report of seven cases found in chiIdren. Five of the seven cases were from the fiIes of the ChiIdren’s HospitaI of Pittsburgh. The other two chiIdren were seen by one of us (J. A. H.).