• Jennifer H Kuo, Lynne M Smith, and Carol D Berkowitz.
• Department of Pediatrics, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine, Torrance, California, USA.
• Obstet Gynecol. 2002 May 1;99(5 Pt 2):939-41.

BackgroundHair tourniquet syndrome involves fibers of hair or thread wrapped around an appendage producing tissue necrosis. Appendages commonly involved include the toe, finger, and penis. We report a hair tourniquet resulting in amputation of the clitoris.CaseAn adolescent presented with a 4-year history of intermittent genital pain that increased in severity over the preceding 5 days. Physical examination revealed a necrotic clitoris surrounded by a black hair. During the examination, the tissue fell off resulting in immediate improvement in the patient's pain.ConclusionWe report a case of a clitoral hair tourniquet syndrome leading to autoamputation of the clitoris. A high index of suspicion for this condition is important because of the potential consequences of delayed treatment.

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