Unusual presentation of a septate hymen leading to a retained vaginal tampon in the urinary bladder

Abstract

There is a wide range of hymenal variants which exist and usually become apparent to women during puberty. Our case describes a 16-year-old woman with a previously undiagnosed hymenal septum who presented with a retained tampon within the urinary bladder. This case report discusses a rare presentation of a hymenal variant and highlights the importance of understanding the difference in pelvic examinations in children and adolescents when compared with adults and awareness of the different hymenal variants.