JUM AIUM Career Center
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Kuo, H. C.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Kuo, H. C.

Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 17, Issue 5 311-320, Copyright © 1998 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Transrectal sonographic investigation of urethral and paraurethral structures in women with stress urinary incontinence

H. C. Kuo
Department of Urology, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan.

Transrectal sonography of the urethra was used in 14 asymptomatic volunteers, 37 women with frequency-urgency syndrome, 42 patients with mild stress urinary incontinence, and 18 with severe stress urinary incontinence. Transverse scanning over the midurethra was performed and cross-sectional images of the urethral and paraurethral structures were compared among the four groups, with P < 0.05 being considered statistically significant. The total cross-sectional area of the midurethra was significantly smaller in patients with stress urinary incontinence than in those without this disorder (86.7+/-29.9 versus 104+/-35.6 mm2, P = 0.005); this difference resulted from a significantly smaller peripheral striated muscle component in patients with stress urinary incontinence (42.8+/-20.7 versus 58.3+/-27.3 mm2, P = 0.001). The thickness of the urethropelvic ligaments was significantly thinner in patients with stress urinary incontinence than in those without (5.9+/-1.7 versus 8.9+/-2.1 mm, P < 0.001). The distribution of the peripheral striated muscle around the urethra was variable: complete surrounding the urethra was noted in 35.7% of the control women and in 48.6% of frequency-urgency patients, but only in 16.7% of patients with mild stress urinary incontinence and 5.3% of patients with severe disease. Bladder neck incompetence was seen in 42 patients with stress urinary incontinence but in none of the control women. The length of the pubourethral ligaments was similar in the four groups. Our finding showed that stress urinary patients had a smaller striated muscle component in the midurethra and thinner urethropelvic ligaments. These defects in the continence mechanisms might have great implications in the pathophysiology of stress urinary incontinence. Transrectal sonography of the urethra is a valuable investigative tool in assessing urethral and paraurethral conditions in patients with stress urinary incontinence before deciding treatment modality.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Am. J. Physiol. Renal Physiol.Home page
R. J. Jankowski, R. L. Prantil, M. B. Chancellor, W. C. de Groat, J. Huard, and D. A. Vorp
Biomechanical characterization of the urethral musculature
Am J Physiol Renal Physiol, May 1, 2006; 290(5): F1127 - F1134.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1998 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.