ABSTRACT

Retention of a foreign body for long duration may lead to serious morbidity in the form of infection, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and chronic pelvic pain.

We report a rare case of a 26 year old unmarried girl who presented with chronic pelvic pain and an offensive vaginal discharge for the past ten years. A radio-opaque shadow was seen on abdominal X-ray in the pelvis. Hysteroscopy confirmed a metallic foreign body in the uterus. A tubelight starter was retrieved from the uterus with difficulty.

In a patient with recurrent, unremitting foul smelling discharge with pelvic pain, possibility of a retained foreign body should always be kept in mind. Although imaging modalities are useful, vaginoscopy or hysteroscopy can clinch the diagnosis.

Keywords: hysteroscopy, intrauterine foreign body, ultrasonography