Current trends in the management of pediatric patients with perineal groove

Abstract

Objective: Perineal groove is an uncommon congenital anomaly of the perineum, affecting young girls. We report our experience in the treatment of this pathology.

Design: Retrospective review of patients operated in our institution for a perineal groove between 1999 and 2007.

Setting: Multidisciplinary clinic for young girls with perineal groove at the Department of Pediatrics, "Federico II" University, Naples, Italy.

Participants: Six young girls (aged between 2 and 7 years) with perineal groove.

Interventions: In the first three patients, who were operated on before 2004, the procedure consisted in resecting the groove and closing the perineal defect using interrupted sutures; in the last three, the skin was closed with similar approach and then covered with a chemical glue to impermeabilize and protect the suture.

Results: At a long-term follow-up, two of the three patients operated before 2004 experienced dehiscence of the perineal skin due to urine and feces contamination; in the last three patients in whom the sutures were covered with glue there was no skin dehiscence, and the postoperative course was uneventful.

Conclusions: A perineal groove is a rare anomaly in young girls. Treatment consists in the surgical excision of the groove, generally after two years of age. On the basis of our experience it is preferable to cover the suture with a chemical glue to impermeabilize the suture line and protect the skin from infections.