ULTRASONOGRAPHIC PARAMETERS FOR THE ASSES SMENT OF FEMALE URINARY STRESS-INCONTINENCE

Aim The study compared ultrasound parameters of the lower urinary trac t with patients' age, number of previous pregnancies as well as the gr ade of incontinence. Furthermore, the influence of postural changes wa s studied. Method Ultrasonographic examination of the vaginal introitu s was performed on 222 patients using a 5 MHz scanner. The transducer was inserted along the body axis and a vertical plane was defined. Res ults Urinary stress incontinence was found to be associated with the o ccurrence of cystoceles, the finding of a funnel-like opening of the p roximal urethra, an increased retro-vesical angle beta, and finally wi th a descent of the bladder neck. However, there was no significant co rrelation between urethral length and the grade of stress incontinence . In patients without urinary incontinence, the retrovesical angle as well as the position of the bladder neck were strongly related to pari ty but did not correlate with the patients' age. There was no signific ant difference between parameters when the patients were straining in a prone or half-prone position. Conclusion Sonomorphological pelvic fl oor disorder is based on previous pregnancies and correlates well with urinary stress incontinence.