[Profiles of urethral pressure, measured with microtransducers, in the assessment of female stress urinary incontinence].

OBJECTIVES

This study was conducted to evaluate the usefulness of urethral pressure profiles in the diagnosis of urinary stress incontinence and to determine the possible correlation of such profiles with the degree of incontinence.

METHODS

An initial group of 92 female patients were studied; 29 that presented vesical instability in the urodynamic studies were posteriorly discarded from the study. Patient evaluation included clinical history, physical examination, analytical, radiological and urodynamic studies, including uroflowmetry, filling and emptying cystometry and static and dynamic urethral pressure profiles. A Phoenix 5 and a 10 F microtransducter catheter were used to carry out the necessary evaluations. ICS recommendations were observed. In the statistical analysis of the results, the Wilconson test and contingency table of 2x2 were employed.

RESULTS

In the different groups, the parameters analyzed in the static urethral pressure profiles revealed only statistically significant differences in maximum pressure urethral values and maximum closing urethral pressure. No differences in either total length or in functional urethral length were observed. The values of the dynamic urethral pressure profiles of the different groups were compared. There was a statistically significantly higher proportion of patients that presented a negative closing urethral pressure dynamics in the group of women with urodynamically and clinically demonstrated urinary incontinence in comparison to the group of women whose incontinence was not demonstrated either by urodynamic or physical explorations.

CONCLUSIONS

The urethral pressure profile is sufficiently reliable in confirming both the diagnosis of urinary incontinence and its degree of severity. As a diagnostic test for urinary stress incontinence, it has a sensitivity of 82% and a specificity of 90%.