Norman Wendy V, Stothart Danielle
Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC; Women's Health Research Institute, Contraception Access Research Team, British Columbia Women's Hospital, Vancouver BC.
Women's Health Research Institute, Contraception Access Research Team, British Columbia Women's Hospital, Vancouver BC.
J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2015 Apr;37(4):345-348. doi: 10.1016/S1701-2163(15)30285-1.
Intrauterine devices are increasingly the preferred method of contraception chosen by Canadian women. IUD strings are commonly not visible at follow-up, but rarely are visible yet not located within the endocervical canal. We report a case of IUD strings perforating the ectocervix.
An asymptomatic, 26-year-old woman presented for removal of her levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system, over a year following insertion of the device. Upon examination the IUD strings were found to be emerging from within the cervical tissue, 10 mm above the external os.
We discuss removal techniques, review the literature, and examine possible reasons for this presentation. These techniques may interest a range of practitioners managing contraceptive care for women.