Accidental Hymenal Injury Mimicking Sexual Trauma

A 7-year-old girl with vaginal bleeding following a bathtub injury illustrates an unusual case of accidental injury to the hymen which might be mistaken for sexual abuse. Interviewed alone, the child reported a richly-detailed story of sliding in the bathtub into a group of plastic horses. The vaginal injury was apparently caused by the sharp hoof of one of the toys. The way in which the child recounted the story, rather than the clinical findings, indicated that an accident had probably caused the injury.