Infected chronic extradural haematoma.

Correspondence to: Mr Riou. A 28 year old nulliparous woman presented to the accident and emergency department after failing to retrieve a glass mercury thermometer from her vagina. She had been using the thermometer to measure her vaginal temperature on waking each morning as part of a fertility programme in order to ascertain the time of ovulation. Although oral or rectal temperature measurements are usually used to estimate core body temperature, in this instance the patient's general practitioner had recommended vaginal measurement as an acceptable alternative. In addition, specific popular health care books obtained by the patient had also recommended vaginal temperature measurements. Initially digital and speculum examinations of her vagina were carried out-both were unremarkable. A plain radiograph of the pelvis was obtained. This clearly demonstrated the thermometer lying transversely within the pelvis (fig 1). Subsequent ultrasonography of the pelvis showed the thermometer within the urinary bladder. The patient was referred to the duty urologist who removed the thermometer via a rigid cystoscope under general anaesthesia without complication. This is an extremely unusual case where a patient has passed a mercury thermometer per LX'..... gfisws si.... . _ s . : :''.si! ''tis$k a| i.................................................. ........