文摘
Congenital anomalies of the female genital tract include anomalies of the outer genital organs (mons pubis, clitoris including praeputium clitorides, labia majora et minora, ostium urethrae externum, hymen and vestibulum vaginae) as well as inner genital organs (cervix, corpus uteri and the adnex). Pathologies and norm variants are sometimes not easy to distinguish from each other. Knowledge about physical developmental stages and their timing (especially pubarche, telarche and menarche) is necessary as well as knowledge about the embryonal development of the genital organs to correctly diagnose congenital anomalies of the female genital tract. Most diagnoses can be made after a comprehensive assessment of the medical history, examination of the outer and inner genital organs and an abdominal ultrasound. Congenital anomalies of the female genital tract can have an influence on quality of life, sexuality and fertility. Early diagnosis can prevent a relevant number of complications like hematocolpos and hematometra. In this article standard methods for the diagnosis of congenital anomalies of the female genital tract are described. Keywords Disorders of sex development Embryonic development Puberty Hematocolpos Sex differentiation