Leiomyomas are the most common benign tumour of the uterus, occurring in 20-40% of women in reproductive age.Most of the myomas arise in the uterus, however extrauterine sites include fallopian tubes, cervix, round ligament, ovary and urethra. A single or polypoidal mass in the vagina is usually a leiomyomatous polyp arising from the cervix or from the cavity of the uterus. Leiomyoma developing de novo from the fibromuscular elements of the vagina is a rare entity. When such a tumour arises from anterior wall of the vagina it is often mistaken for a cervical fibroid. Parasitic leiomyoma is the rarest type of leiomyoma and develop when a leiomyoma attaches itself to another organ. Vaginal leiomyomas usually arise from anterior vaginal wall. We report a case of parasitic leiomyoma in the vagina together with uterine leiomyoma in a 48 year old lady presented with palpable mass perabdomen and anaemic symptoms. The size and location of the tumours necessitated abdominal and vaginal approach for better surgical access.
Paragangliomas are uncommon tumors arising from the neuroendocrine elements (chief cells) of the paraganglia and symmetrically distributed along the aorta in close association with the sympathetic chain. Although functional tumors are easier to diagnose due to the clinical fi ndings caused by excess secretion of catecholamines and an elevation of the urinary catecholamine levels, however the diagnosis of nonfunctioning paraganglioma of the retroperitoneum is diffi cult and only few cases have been made before exploratory laparotomy. Although our patient was initially planned and operated by our gynaecological team, the incidental findings had to involve the general surgeons. She is fortunate that the tumour did not show any features of malignancy nor metastasis, however a long time follow up is needed in case of any possible recurrence.
Urinary retention rarely affects women. In obstructive retention the source must be determined and treated to allow the patient to void normally. A common anatomic cause of urinary retention is extrinsic compression due to a pelvic mass. In addition, obstruction can also be seen in women with pelvic organ prolapse. Haematocolpos and uterine fibroids have also been documented as causes of acute urinary retention.
The following cases of female urinary retention highlight the need to consider haematocolpos in the adolescent girl who has not attained menarche and fibroids in the older female.