Doppler velocimetry parameters of periurethral vessels in postmenopausal incontinent women receiving estrogen replacement

Estrogen deficit causes significant alterations in the lower urinary tract of women, largely affecting urinary continence mechanisms. The urethral vas cular bed accounts for about one-third of urethral pressure, and as it unde rgoes marked hormonal influence we became interested in investigating its b ehaviour both prior to and during estrogen replacement. We selected 25 post menopausal patients with urinary stress incontinence and studied the periur ethral vessels by means of Doppler velocimetry, analyzing the number of ves sels, systolic peak, minimum diastole, resistance and pulsatility indexes a nd the A/B ratio, prior to estrogen replacement and after 1 and 3 months of hormone use. We concluded that estrogen replacement alone in postmenopausa l women with urinary stress incontinence increased the number of periurethr al vessels, systolic peak and minimum diastole; however, a trend of no stat istical significance towards the reduction of resistance and pulsatility ra tes of periurethral vessels was found; nor was a significant difference in the A/B ratio shown.