Prolonged Intrauterine Fetal Bone Retention Following a Neglected Pregnancy: A Case Report

Abstract

We describe a case of prolonged intrauterine fetal bone retention following a neglected pregnancy. A 43-year-old rural woman had one year history of malodorous vaginal discharge. She underwent medical treatment with broad spectrum antibiotics. Four days following the onset of antibiotic therapy, cystoscopy and hysteroscopy were done. Incredibly, some bony-like pieces were extracted by instrument from endocervical canal. Intrauterine retention of fetal bones, although rare, should be considered as a possibility in cases with unexplained abdominal pain, dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and long period infertility. Hysteroscopy is the best modality for diagnosis and may be enough for management of the condition in many cases. However, in complicated cases, hysterectomy would be inevitable.