Bullet removed from clitoris in world-first surgery

The CT scan showed the problem. Photo / International Journal of Surgery Case Reports

A woman who was accidentally shot in the clitoris while relaxing at home made a full recovery after surgeons removed the bullet in what doctors said was the first known case of its kind.

The unnamed 24-year-old was inside her home in Somalia when a bullet came through the roof and struck her in the vulva, becoming lodged in her clitoris.

“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first wayward bullet injury penetrating the vulvar area (the external part of the female genitals) with a retained bullet in the clitoris,” the authors of the study in the International Journal of Surgery Case Reports wrote.

She sought treatment at Mogadishu’s Erdogan Hospital, where surgeons removed the bullet under local anaesthetic.

She was able to leave the hospital the following day and a check-up a month later found no lasting issues.

A CT scan of the pelvis and abdominal was performed and revealed an image consistent with a metallic foreign body. Photo / International Journal of Surgery Case Reports

The doctors said they shared the story because they “thought it to be rare and interesting, considering its occurrence”.

They said that “tired bullet” injuries are commonly seen in residential areas in war-torn countries such as Somalia, and the relatively low velocity of the bullet may have been responsible for it not causing greater damage to the patient.

They also noted that trauma to the vulva that was not caused by pregnancy and childbirth was “extremely rare” and was more often caused by sports-related injuries, straddle injuries, midline splitting injuries, crush injuries or penetrating injuries.