These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: The missing forgotten intrauterine contraceptive device.
    Author: Gruber A, Rabinerson D, Kaplan B, Pardo J, Neri A.
    Journal: Contraception; 1996 Aug; 54(2):117-9. PubMed ID: 8842589.
    Abstract:
    Failure to locate the strings of an intrauterine contraceptive device may mean that the device is within the uterine cavity, was expelled or, worst of all, has perforated the uterine wall. We describe a 36-year-old woman complaining of infertility in whom two missing devices were found within the pelvis after having perforated the uterus. This report demonstrates the need to investigate every case of a missing intrauterine contraceptive device. An algorithm for the proper management of such cases is suggested. A 36-year-old woman, gravida II, para II, was referred to the infertility clinic of the Rabin Medical Center, Tel Aviv University, Israel, because of secondary infertility of 4 years' duration. The patient was first fitted with a Lippes loop-type IUD 6 weeks after her first delivery, while she was still breast-feeding. The procedure was followed by abdominal cramps and mild bleeding, which lasted several days. Two years later, she conceived spontaneously. When the tail of the IUD was not located during the vaginal examination, it was assumed that the device had been expelled. No further attempts were made to confirm its location, and the patient was advised to continue with her pregnancy. The pregnancy course and delivery was uneventful. Six weeks after this delivery, a second IUD of the Lippes loop type was inserted by the same gynecologist. There were mild abdominal cramps during insertion and an uneventful post-insertion course. Two years later, the woman decided to become pregnant again and consulted her gynecologist. Although the IUD strings were not detected during the examination, nothing was said to the patient. After she had failed to conceive for 4 years, she was referred to the infertility clinic. Since there was a history of IUD insertion without confirmation of expulsion, pelvic sonography was performed, but it failed to detect an IUD. This was followed by X-ray of the abdomen and the pelvis, which showed two extrauterine IUDs of the Lippes loop type located in the right side of the pelvis. Hysterosalpingography was performed to investigate the relationship between the uterus and the location of the IUDs. During removal, using minilaparotomy, the devices were found to be adherent to the omentum in the right side of the pelvis. No signs of previous perforations of the uterus were detected.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]