Correlation among cystometry, urethral pressure profilometry and pelvic floor electromyography in the evaluation of female patients with voiding dysfunction symptoms.

We herein evaluate the correlation among cystometry, urethral pressure profilometry and pelvic floor electromyography in 137 female patients. The predominant symptom was frequency in 40 patients, urge incontinence in 31 and stress incontinence in 66. There appeared to be a correlation between urge incontinence and a hyperreflexic cystometrogram but no correlation was noted between either frequency or stress incontinence and the cystometrogram profile. The urethral pressure profile showed a correlation between stress incontinence and the lowest profile measurements. Frequency and urge incontinence had similar profile measurements except for maximum urethral planimetry. Electromyography showed that the external urethral sphincter had a different finding than the levator ani or the external anal sphincters in all 3 groups of female patients. The external urethral sphincter had a higher percentage of denervation than the other 2 muscles, especially in the stress incontinence group.