Rectovaginal Fistula on Migration of an Intrauterine Device: A Case Report and Literature Review

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Author Info

Sophie Schoenen Pascal De Leeuw Vlad-Adrian Alexandrescu Christian Ngongang

Corresponding Author

Sophie Schoenen
Department of General, Abdominal, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Princess Paola Hospital, Marche-en-Famenne, Belgium

A B S T R A C T

Intrauterine devices (IUDs) are effective methods of contraception widely used worldwide because of their efficacy, low cost, and reversibility. Although overall well-tolerated, they may, however, cause uterine perforation, a rare but serious complication that can endanger adjacent abdominal organs. We report the case of a 50-year-old woman who consulted a gastroenterologist three years ago for the detection of blood in her feces on a screening test (Hémoccult°). Colonoscopy and abdominopelvic imaging discovered a displaced IUD embedded in the recto-sigmoidal wall. A wait-and-see approach was proposed at that time because of the absence of symptoms. Three years later, she developed abdominal and pelvic pain. On a second laparoscopic surgery procedure, we removed the IUD. Intraoperatively, a rectovaginal fistula was also discovered and sutured in different anatomical planes. Based on a comprehensive review of the literature, the management of this case is confronted with guidelines available for this rare condition.

Article Info

Article Type

Case Report and Review of the Literature

Publication history

Received: Fri 05, Mar 2021
Accepted: Fri 19, Mar 2021
Published: Thu 22, Apr 2021

Copyright

© 2023 Sophie Schoenen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Hosting by Science Repository.
DOI: 10.31487/j.SCR.2021.04.01