Use of toluidine blue dye in detection of anogenital injuries in consensual sexual intercourse.

The usefulness of Toluidine blue dye in the detection of anogenital injuries in sixty females aged 16-40 years of age with a history of consensual sexual intercourse within 48 h of intercourse were included for the study from the Gynaecology outpatient department of the Institute of Medicine, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal over a period of 10 months. Injuries were identified and documented using TEARS classification (tears-ecchymosis-abrasion-redness-swelling) before and after the application of toluidine blue dye (TBD). Anogenital injuries were detected in 6.7% participants (4 out of 60) before the dye application and 20% participants (12 out of 60) after the dye application. Thus, TBD application increased the detection of anogenital injuries three times compared to that of the naked-eye examination. Applying the Chi-square test, there were significant differences in the detection of tears and abrasions after TBD application (p-value - 0.035 and 0.042 respectively).