Aims: Although labial fusion disease is usually seen in infancy, it can also be seen in other age groups. Our study aimed to evaluate whether labial fusion disease creates significant clinical problems across age periods by considering childhood periods.
Methods: Following ethics committee approval, the files of patients who came to the Pediatric Surgery outpatient clinic with complaints of labial fusion between 2017 and 2023 were retrospectively examined. These patients were divided into groups related to their childhood periods and the causative cause, other accompanying problems, treatment method, number of recurrences of labial fusion, and reasons for recurrence. These patients were evaluated by grouping them as 0-2 months, 2 months-2 years, 2 years-6 years, and over six years of age. Additionally, the results obtained were evaluated in the light of the literature.
Results: Of the 94 patients with labial fusion complaints, one was two months old, 51 were 2 months-2 years old, 34 were 2-6 years old, and eight were over six years old. A hygiene problem was identified in only 1 of these patients. In others, the reason for the complaint needed to be clarified. One patient had urinary complaints, and 4 had constipation. Fusion excision was performed as a treatment under outpatient clinic conditions. Recurrence occurred in 16 patients. It recurred once in 13 patients and twice in three patients. Estrogen-containing cream was used in 10 of the relapsed patients. Relapses were performed for recurrent patients under outpatient clinic conditions.
Conclusion: Labial fusion is rarely seen in the neonatal period. This situation may be considered pleasing, but it may also cause people to think that perineal examinations were not performed well. We have implemented practices that can be said to be directly proportional to the literature for infants and school-age children. In patients over the age of six, no apparent cause could be identified. In treatment, only one patient required a surgical procedure, such as a straightforward fusion opening. The presence of additional complaints in some patients rose whether constipation, especially constipation, affected the formation of labial fusion, although its detection was proportionally low.