Potassium Permanganate Necrosis of the Vagina

Abstract

A 19-year-old woman was referred to our emergency department for massive vaginal hemorrhage following an attempted clandestine abortion by intravaginal instillation of potassium permanganate crystals. Primigravida, she was 7 weeks pregnant and had no particular pathological history. Upon admission, she was in hemorrhagic shock with blood pressure at 7/3 mmHg and tachycardia at 152 bpm. Pelvic examination revealed active bleeding from the right vaginal wall. The cervix and vulva were normal. Mechanical hemostasis using a sterile gauze pad mounted on a long forceps was directly applied at the same time as the resuscitative management. After 3 minutes of compression, hemostasis was achieved and vaginal necrotic lesions appeared