A long-term complication of clitoral cyst after female genital mutilation

Abstract

Female genital mutilation (FGM) was seen in 30 countries, especially in Africa and also in Asia and the Middle East. According to WHO data, Somalia is where FGM is performed most frequently. Our study aimed to evaluate the recordings of patients with FGM who were diagnosed with a traumatic clitoral cyst. We identified the clitoral cyst cases between February 2015 and August 2020. We collected clinical, surgical, sociodemographic, and histopathological details such as age, marital status, patient resume, age at which FGM was performed, complaints, size of the cyst consultation reasons, FGM procedural long-term complications, sexual function, husband polygamic relationship status, and histological findings. A total of 21 patients diagnosed with clitoral cysts were included in the study. The technique was easily applied in every patient, and the cysts were removed intact, except in 2 patients. There were no intraoperative complications; only minimal bleeding was seen. Except for one patient, all had unilocular cysts, and the final pathological examination revealed an epidermal inclusion cyst. We observed a neuroma developed due to genital trauma due to FGM in one of our patients. Female circumcision and its consequences are not familiar to many healthcare professionals in the developed world. We want to increase awareness of female circumcision and its long-term complication of clitoral cysts among healthcare professionals worldwide.