WOMENS-HEALTH Messages for July, 1998: Anatomy of clitoris

Anatomy of clitoris

From: Cynthia (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Tue, 14 Jul 1998 19:28:07 -0500 (CDT)

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When I pull back gently on the hood of my clitoris, I see a fine dark brown (seems to me) line right in the middle -- sometimes it seems a bit to the left depending on how the skin is pulled back. Is this a natural anatomical feature or could it be a scab or scar of some kind? I am not too familiar with how the glans of the clitoris is supposed to look because I've never checked under there until recently. I don't remember seeing the dark brown line when I first looked, though. I did try to remove excess smegma with a washcloth over a month ago, which caused the hood area to become very inflamed; the inflammation and the pain accompanying it cleared up in a few days, but the pain returned a week or so later.

The reason I am concerned and inspecting at all is that I have been experiencing clitoral pain for several weeks. Sometimes it is very strong, at other times confined to when the hood area is touched, but it's not going away. Topical lidocaine gel does nothing for it; the 5% ointment (which burns on contact for a few minutes) numbs the area for awhile, but the pain always returns. My gynecologist could find nothing abnormal when I first brought this up to her, but at that time I don't remember seeing the dark line, so I don't know if she saw it or not. I plan to be examined again and ask about it, but if it is just the outline of a normal anatomical feature, maybe I would be wasting her time.

By the way, I also have vulvar pain; a vulvar biopsy showed nothing but chronic inflammation.

Thanks in advance for any information. Any chance this pain might resolve on its own, or do you think some of the treatments used for vulvodynia (antidepressant or anticonvulsant medication, topical estrogen, low-oxalate diet, biofeedback) might help manage it?

--
Cynthia W.

Next message: Carol: "Old episiotomy scar......possible surgical repairs 28 years later"
Previous message: Lynda: "What could be my unlying problem?"

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