Vaginal anomalies and their surgical correction
Obstructed hemivagina
An obstructed hemivagina, an uncommon Müllerian duct anomaly, occurs most often with ipsilateral renal agenesis and is commonly referred to as OHVIRA. Because the formation of the reproductive system is closely associated with the development of the urinary system, it is not unusual for renal anomalies to occur alongside Müllerian anomalies and vaginal anomalies. There should be a high index of suspicion for a reproductive tract anomaly in any patient known to have a horseshoe kidney, duplex collecting system, unilateral renal agenesis, or other renal anomaly.
Patients with obstructed hemivagina typically present in adolescence with pelvic pain or dysmenorrhea, and commonly are misdiagnosed as having endometriomas or vaginal cysts. On vaginal examination, the obstructed hemivagina may be visualized as a bulge coming from the lateral vaginal sidewall. While only one cervix is appreciated on a vaginal exam, an ultrasound examination often will show two uteri and two cervices. MRI also is helpful for diagnosis.
Obstructed hemivagina requires surgical correction to open the obstruction, excise the excess vaginal tissue, and create one vagina with access to the second cervix. Great care must be taken to avoid not only the bladder and rectum but the cervices. It is not unusual for the two cervices to be at different levels, with one cervix sharing medial aspects of the vaginal wall of the second vagina (Figure 1a). The tissue between the two cervices should be left in place to avoid compromising their blood supply.
We manage this anomaly primarily through a single-stage vaginoplasty. For the nonobstructed side to be visualized, a longitudinal incision into the obstructed hemivagina should be made at the point at which it is most easily palpated. As with agenesis of the lower vagina, the fluid to be drained tends to be old menstrual blood that is thick and dark brown. It is useful to set up two suction units at the time of surgery because tubing can become clogged.
The use of vaginal side wall retractors helps with visualization. Alternatively, I tend to use malleable abdominal wall retractors vaginally, as they can be bent to conform to the angle needed and come in different widths. When it is difficult to identify the area of obstruction, a spinal needle with a 10-cc syringe again can be used to identify a track for accessing the fluid. The linear incision then is made with electrocautery, and the obstructed hemivagina is entered.
Allis clamps are used to grasp the vaginal mucosa from the previously obstructed hemivagina to help identify the tissue that needs to be excised. Once the fluid is evacuated, a finger also can be placed into the obstructed vagina is help identify excess tissue. This three-dimensional elliptical area is similar to a septum but becomes the obstructed hemivagina as it attaches to the vaginal wall (Figure 1a).
Retrograde menses and endometriosis occur commonly with obstructive anomalies like obstructed hemivagina and agenesis of the lower vagina, but laparoscopy with the goal of treating endometriosis is not indicated. We discourage its use at the time of repair because there is evidence that almost all endometriosis will completely resorb on its own once the anomalies are corrected.1,2
As with repair of lower vagina agenesis, antibiotics to prevent an ascending infection should be taken after surgical correction of obstructed hemivagina. Patients with obstructed hemivagina can have a vaginal delivery if there are no other contraindications. Women with obstructed hemivagina and ipsilateral renal anomaly have essentially two unicornuate systems and thus are at risk of breech presentation and preterm delivery.
Dr. Laufer is chief of the division of gynecology, codirector of the Center for Young Women’s Health, and director of the Boston Center for Endometriosis, all at Boston Children’s Hospital. He also is professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School, Boston.
