Vaginal entrapment of bathwater: a source of extra-urethral incontinence

Abstract

This report presents 2 cases of females (a prepubertal and a premenopausalfemale) with dribbling “incontinence” caused by vaginalentrapment of bathwater. In the first case, an 8-year-old girlpresented with a history of bothersome wetness of her underwear,noted mainly in the morning. History revealed that she bathedalmost nightly. She was instructed to shower or bath only, eachfor one week. The wetting occurred only after bathing. In the secondcase, a 39-year-old female, G2P2 with normal genitalia notedoccasional, yet significant, dribbling into her underwear only afterbaths. She concluded this to be bathwater accumulating in hervagina, which she evacuates digitally. The differential diagnosisof dribbling incontinence in females of any age should include theextra-urethral cause of entrapped fluids of immersion. Although thiscondition may be rare, it is simple to rule out on history based onits temporal association with fluid immersion. Once diagnosed,the management is behavioural.