Western Journal of Emergency Medicine: Integrating Emergency Care with Population Health

A 28-year-old female presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with a chief complaint of strings protruding from her vagina. The patient also complained of recurrent symptoms of cystitis and occasional hematuria over the past five months without resolution after treatment. The patient underwent ED evaluation and was noted to have strings coated in calculus protruding from her urethral meatus. On AP abdominal film a T-shaped intrauterine device (IUD) with calculus was noted in the pelvis. By computed tomography (CT) scan the object was shown to be extruding from the vagina into the bladder. Of note the patient had a history of IUD use with supposed removal five years prior to presentation. The diagnosis of IUD perforation of the bladder with calculus formation was confirmed by cystoscopy, and the IUD and calculi were successfully removed without complication.