Congenital Vaginal Obstruction
Vaginal blockages at birth are rare but must be fixed with surgery. Most female infants are born with a thin layer of issue (hymen) that incompletely covers the vaginal opening.
Archived from the 2024 edition
Overview
The most common cause of an obstructed vagina is an "imperforate" hymen that is lacking any opening. Less often (1 in 70,000) the vagina can be obstructed from a "septum" or thin layer of tissue inside the vagina. Either of these issues can lead to swelling of the vagina and uterus.
Symptoms depend on the level of obstruction. If the baby is born with imperforate hymen, the retained mucus secretions will cause a white or yellow bulge visible in the genital area. If the obstruction is higher (septum), swelling in the lower abdomen is usually noted.
In this entry
The archived page carried these sections, in this order.
- Causes
- Symptoms
- Diagnosis
- Treatment
- After Treatment
- Explore Further