TRANSVAGINAL ULTRASONOGRAPHY - A STUDY WITH HEALTHY-VOLUNTEERS AND WOMEN WITH GENUINE STRESS-INCONTINENCE

In order to distinguish different types of stress urinary incontinence with the help of urodynamics combined with ultrasound, a study was ex ecuted to find out if and how ultrasonographic variables in stress inc ontinent patients differ from healthy women. Various quantitative vari ables were defined and compared in the aforementioned groups. Cranioca udal and ventrodorsal related variables were the most discriminative i n rest position. During coughing the same directional variables were a lso discriminative. The difference between stress and rest was signifi cant only for the craniocaudal direction. The often discussed posterio r vesical angle had no predictive value. The results of this pilot stu dy support the concept that anatomical differences between stress inco ntinent patients and healthy women can be detected ultrasonographicall y. The study further indicates that stress urinary incontinence can be caused by a low rest position of the bladder neck or by a hypermobile bladder neck. Urodynamics combined with ultrasound probably can be ap plied to distinguish more precisely different types of stress urinary incontinence.