Translabial ultrasonography in the assessment of urethral diameter and intrinsic urethral sphincter deficiency.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to determine the role of translabial ultrasonography in the investigation of intrinsic urethral sphincter deficiency (ISD), assessing bladder neck hypermobility and urethral diameter in continent and incontinent patients.

METHODS

A case-control study evaluated 94 women with the diagnosis of urinary incontinence and 96 continent women. Both groups underwent translabial ultrasonography to assess bladder neck hypermobility by means of the x-y coordinate system and urethral diameter. The study was performed at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre.

RESULTS

Women with urinary stress incontinence showed significantly greater bladder neck descent than continent women and women with urge and mixed incontinence (P = .05). Women with ISD showed significantly larger urethral diameters than control subjects and incontinent women without ISD (P = .05). Of women with urinary incontinence, 78.7% had descent of greater than 10 mm, and 91.7% of the women with ISD had urethral diameters of greater than 6 mm. A urethral diameter of greater than 6 mm showed sensitivity of 91.7% and specificity of 75.6% for ISD.

CONCLUSIONS

Translabial ultra-sonography has an important role in the assessment of women with urinary stress incontinence and intrinsic urethral sphincter deficiency.