[Evaluation of perineal ultrasound examination--are the results reproducible?].

UNLABELLED: Perineal ultrasound was used with a new measurement method that locates the urethrovesical junction. The aim of this study was to test the reproducibility of this examination. Two different investigators examined 40 patients at rest and during Valsalva's manoeuvre. Using a rectangular coordinate system, the bladder neck was located by means of distance measurements. In addition, the retrovesical angle beta was measured as described by Green, and certain anatomical signs were noted. There was a good inter-examiner correlation (r values 0.77-0.92) both at rest and during Valsalva for the distances and angle beta. There was good agreement in the analysis of the anatomical signs.

CONCLUSION: Perinatal ultrasound, together with the measurement method described in this paper, is a reliable technique for determining the bladder neck position, for measuring angle beta and for analysing anatomical signs. This method permits a quantitative evaluation and quality control of therapeutic procedures.