Prolapse of the sigmoid neovagina: report of three cases.

BACKGROUND: Prolapse of a sigmoid neovagina, created in patients with congenital vaginal aplasia or male transsexualism, is rare. In correcting this condition, preservation of coital function and restoration of the vaginal axis should be of primary interest. CASES: One patient with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster syndrome developed a protrusion of the sigmoid neovagina almost 4 years after the initial operation. The prolapse was treated successfully using an abdominal approach to suspend the neovagina to a Cooper ligament. The second patient is a male-to-female transsexual who developed a prolapse 3 years after the creation of a sigmoid neovagina. After suspension of the neovagina to a Cooper ligament, the prolapse recurred; in a repeat approach, the neovagina was successfully suspended to the sacral promontory. The third patient, with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster syndrome, complained of a protrusion immediately after creation of the neovagina. Initially, the redundant sigmoid was resected vaginally. However, the prolapse recurred, and an abdominal suspension to a Cooper ligament was performed. Finally, after 1 year, another recurrence was treated successfully with a vaginal approach. CONCLUSION: Prolapse of an artificially created vagina is a rare occurrence, without a standard treatment. Both abdominal and vaginal approaches may be needed to restore the neovagina without compromising its function.

Bacterial flora of the sigmoid neovagina.

The bacterial microbiota of 15 sigmoid neovaginas, created in patients with congenital vaginal aplasia or male transsexualism, was studied. No specimen was sterile, and only normal inhabitants of the colon were cultured. The total counts of bacteria were lower than those reported for healthy sigmoid colons.

Long-term psychosexual and psychosocial performance of patients with a sigmoid neovagina.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to study the long-term psychosexual and psychosocial performance of patients with a sigmoid vagina in vaginal dysgenesis and male-to-female transsexuals. STUDY DESIGN: Nineteen patients who had undergone surgery to create a neovagina with the use of a sigmoid segment participated in a long-term follow-up study. Evaluation was done with standardized gynecologic examination and a structured interview. RESULTS: The anatomic result was good in 18 patients, although several reoperative procedures had been necessary. Sexual adjustment was good or satisfactory in 12 of 19 patients. Of the 19 patients, 16 were capable of reaching an organism. Social adjustment was good or satisfactory in 16 patients. CONCLUSIONS: The creation of a sigmoid neovagina results in a long-term anatomically satisfactory situation, in both patients with vaginal dysgenesis and male-to-female transsexuals. In a majority of the patients sexual and social adjustment is good or satisfactory.

The occurrence of diversion colitis in patients with a sigmoid neovagina.

Diversion colitis is an inflammatory process occurring in segments of the colorectum surgically diverted from the fecal stream. Clinical symptoms of this condition are rectal discomfort, pain, discharge, and bleeding. We diverted isolated segments of sigmoid to create neovaginas in patients with aplasia vaginae and in male to female transsexuals. In contrast to what is reported in most studies of diversion colitis, the neovagina consists of an isolated segment not connected to the anus in patients without any pre-existing bowel disease. To investigate the occurrence of diversion colitis in these sigmoid-neovaginas we studied biopsy specimens from 13 patients. Most of the patients complained of discharge and slight blood loss from their sigmoid-neovagina. Microscopic examination of the biopsy specimens showed lymphocytic infiltration in all cases. Four cases showed an acute inflammatory infiltrate in the lamina propria. Our results indicate that the changes observed on clinical and histopathologic examinations represent the entity of mild diversion colitis. We conclude that diversion colitis also occurs in a sigmoid neovagina.

A modified technique to create a neovagina with an isolated segment of sigmoid colon.

The creation of a functional vagina in patients with congenital vaginal aplasia or male transsexualism is a challenging problem. A group of 40 patients, including 23 male transsexuals, in whom a neovagina was created using a sigmoid transplant, is reported. The technique, a modification of Kun's "colocolpopoiesis," is described in detail. Ten patients showed some direct postoperative complications and five were readmitted the first six weeks postoperatively for a variety of reasons. No extensive complication occurred. Thirty-two patients were evaluated at the routine six week postoperative check-up. Four patients had had intercourse at that time and an adequate vagina was found in 21 other patients. It is concluded that this modification of Kun's technique, known as colocolponeopoiesis, has had, at short term in the majority of patients, functionally good results and an acceptable complication rate.

Comparison of HeLa 229 and McCoy cell cultures for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in clinical specimens.

Consecutive clinical specimens of Chlamydia trachomatis (1,048) were inoculated in parallel on DEAE-dextran- and cycloheximide-treated HeLa 229 cells and cycloheximide-treated McCoy cells. HeLa 229 cell culture detected 113 positive specimens, and McCoy cell culture detected 103 positive specimens. This difference is not significant. However, HeLa 229 cell culture yielded significantly more inclusions than McCoy cell culture in the 95 specimens positive in both cell types (P = 0.042). For routine diagnostic purposes, a choice for one of the cell types may be determined by local preferences.