Garcia-Palacios Maria, Mendez-Gallart Roberto, Cortizo-Vazquez Jorge, Rodriguez-Barca Pablo, Estevez-Martinez Elina, Bautista-Casasnovas Adolfo
Pediatric Surgery, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Pediatr Dermatol. 2017 Nov;34(6):677-680. doi: 10.1111/pde.13311. Epub 2017 Oct 11.
Perineal groove is a rare congenital malformation that is unknown to many clinicians and is often misdiagnosed. Although it may be self-resolving during childhood, this nonepithelized mucous membrane can pose the risk of local irritation and infection, particularly urinary tract infection.
A retrospective study of female infants diagnosed with a perineal groove was performed, demographic characteristics and clinical features were analyzed, and a photographic review was conducted.
Five patients with perineal groove were observed in our clinic in 2015-16. The mean age was 14 months. None had symptoms, and no treatment was required. During follow-up of 1 year, all remained asymptomatic.
Our retrospective review suggests that perineal groove may be an underdiagnosed condition. Most cases resolve spontaneously, but confusion in diagnosis may lead to misdiagnosis or misinterpretation of sexual abuse and unnecessary treatments.
