The two girls, aged 17 and 19, brought to the Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, looked normal but unlike other girls in their teens, had not attained ‘menarche’ (start of menstrual cycle), which was a constant worry for the parents.They used to suffer from recurrent abdomen pain which failed to subside even after medication.
On Examination
An examination revealed that though the girls had all other internal organs like uterus and ovaries, they did not have cervix and vagina which meant they could never lead a normal family life. The rare malformation in females is called ‘Cervicovaginal Agenesis’, in which there is no outlet for menstrual flow though the uterus and ovary function normally.
The surgery lasted four hours each. While the 17-year-old girl, a native of Honnavar, went under the scalpel four months ago, the surgery was performed on the 19 year-old, a native of Kundapur, three months back.
Dr Vijay Kumar said, “both the girls are having their regular menstrual cycles and can lead normal married life and bear children in future.”
Medical experts feel that the girls with recurrent abdominal pain and delayed puberty must seek gynaecological advice without postponing it as otherwise it may lead to severe complications.
Source:Indianexpress