Imperforate hymen results from failure of the endoderm of the urogenital sinus to completely canalize and has an incidence of 0.01% to 0.05%. This sometimes presents as a pelvic mass that compresses the bladder causing acute urinary retention. A 13-year-old girl was referred to our department with a history of primary amenorrhea, cyclic lower abdominal pain, abdominal-pelvic mass, constipation and acute urinary retention. She had an ultrasonography misdiagnosis of a huge ovarian mass before referral to our unit. On examination, the vagina was bulging and compressing the rectum. Repeat abdominal ultrasonography confirmed the diagnosis of hematometrocolpos. She underwent X-shaped hymenotomy with a favorable outcome. Diagnosis of imperforate hymen requires high suspicion index. Virginity-sparing surgery constitutes a good treatment option for cultural and religious reasons.

Background: In the literature under review there are about 300 reported cases of vaginal leiomyomas with none from Cameroon. We report a case of vaginal leiomyoma and highlight the diagnostic challenges faced at the Douala Referral Hospital (DRH), Cameroon. Case presentation: A 36-year-old G3P3002 sexually active Cameroonian married woman reported dysuria, dyspareunia, cessation of sexual intercourse and offensive smelling vaginal discharge for 6 months and a 3-year history of a vaginal tumour; she was misdiagnosed despite ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) but was corrected by an experienced radiologist. She underwent first look laparoscopy, surgical excision of the tumour through the vagina and histopathology analysis that confirmed leiomyoma. Conclusion: Posterior location of vaginal leiomyomas found in this case is a rare occurrence. The diagnosis is based on careful examination and preoperative imaging (ultrasonography and MRI). However, the definitive diagnosis is usually made intra-operatively. We combined laparoscopic exploration of the internal genital organs and per vaginal excision of the vaginal leiomyoma. Thus, we recommend frozen section biopsy to exclude leiomyosarcoma.

The Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome is the congenital absence or underdevelopment of the uterus and vagina even though the external genitalia, ovaries and ovarian function are normal. This condition is uncommon in Cameroon. A 23-year-old woman of the Fulbé tribe, a predominantly Islamic tribe of the northern part of Cameroon, complained of the absence of menstruation after age of puberty and lower abdominal pain occurring almost at the same period every month. She has been married polygamously for 10 years and has been having normal, satisfactory sexual intercourse. The sonographic and laparoscopic findings of this patient were consistent with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome. The patient was counseled for in vitro fertilization and surrogacy. Patients with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome typically present with primary amenorrhea during adolescence. With the existing medical technology in Cameroon, this condition is easily accessible in tertiary healthcare facilities. Patients with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome could become mothers through in vitro fertilization and surrogacy, but the cost is prohibitive in Cameroon.

Background: Postpartum haemorrhage is one of the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. It occurs predominantly in developing countries due to poorly developed infrastructures and lack of skilled birth attendants. Objective: To identify the prevalence, causes and risk factors of primary postpartum haemorrhage following vaginal deliveries in a referral hospital (Douala General Hospital-Cameroon). Methods: This was a descriptive and analytical study carried in the Douala General Hospital (DGH) for which socio-demographic, clinical, obstetric and post-partum data were collected using a pre-tested questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, multivariate analysis and logistic regression allowed us to present and discuss our results, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) and p value < 0.05. Results: The prevalence of Primary Postpartum Haemorrhage was 1.33%. Quantification of bleeding was reported in only 13.15% of cases. The main causes were: uterine atony (36.18%), placental retention (25.65%), cervical tears (12.50%), perineal tears (10.52%) and cervico-vaginal tears (08.52%). The risk factors were: age between 19 -35 years aOR = 4.52; 95% CI = 2.65 -7.98; p = 0.021); unemployment (aOR = 4.74; 95% CI = 2.91 -6.02; p = 0.001); being multigravida (aOR = 9.21; 95% CI = 6.43 -12.48; p = 0.035); history of abortion (aOR = 5.11; 95% CI = 2.05 -7.29; p = 0.004); preterm delivery (aOR = 6.88; 95% CI = 2.72 -9.06; p = 0.002); duration of labour > 12 hours (aOR = 4.05; 95% CI = 2.46 -7.98; p = 0.003) and macrosomia (aOR = 3.27; 95% CI = 1.03 -5.68; p = 0.041). Conclusion: Primary postpartum haemorrhage remains a poorly assessed obstetric complication in the maternity ward of the Douala

BackgroundPyosalpinges (a complication of pelvic inflammatory disease) is infection of the fallopian tubes and the morbidity associated with it has major health implications. We are reporting a case of pyosalpinges diagnosed after hysterosalpingography and managed by laparoscopic surgery at the Douala General Hospital, Cameroon.Case presentationA 29-year-old single woman, an assistant nurse of the Douala tribe in Cameroon. She is G1P0010 and came to our attention because of secondary infertility of three years duration. She has a history consistent with four lifetime sexual partners, self-medication for chlamydia trachomatis infection and induced abortion by dilatation and aspiration. Furthermore, she is HIV positive and had an ultrasound scan suggestive of bilateral hydrosalpinges. After a hysterosalpingography examination she developed painless muco-purulent vaginal discharge and bilateral adnexal tenderness on bimanual examination suggestive of pyosalpinges. Vaginal and cervical cultures isolated Ureaplasma urealyticum and Gardnerella vaginalis sensitive to ofloxacin and metronidazole, respectively.At laparoscopy, bilateral pyosalpinges, pelvic adhesions and peri-hepatic adhesions were found. Bilateral salpingectomy with adhesiolysis including lysis of perihepatic adhesions and peritoneal toileting was done. She was discharged from hospital 72 h later and her hospital stay was uneventful. She was counseled for in-vitro fertilization and to register in the national HIV treatment programme. Her husband was prescribed ofloxacin empirically.ConclusionAntimicrobial prophylaxis should be given to patients prior to HSG, especially those with a history of chlamydia or evidence of hydrosalpinges. There should also be universal STI testing in high risk and HIV positive patients or the danger for suboptimal antibiotic usage in areas where self-medication is common.In resource-low tertiary hospitals where computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging is not readily available and/or affordable, clinical examination and pelvic ultrasound remains the key diagnostic tool. Surgical treatment is the best option for pyosalpinges and when plausible, laparoscopic surgery is the treatment of choice. Laparotomy is the mainstay in most hospitals in Cameroon. The parent of the patient did not consent to histo-pathologic examination.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s40738-018-0047-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.