ULTRASOUND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE URETHRO-VESICAL SEGMENT IN WOMEN WITH STRESS URINARY INCONTINENCE.

Introduction. This article highlights the clinical use of pelvic floor ultrasound to image the urethra-vesical segment in women with stress urinary incontinence.
Methods.  The features of the urethro-vesical segment were compared between healthy women and female patients with stress urinary incontinence.
Results. Significant differences were found between the groups in such parameters as pubo-urethral distance, urethral diameter, α angle and its deviation and the deviation of β angle. These parameters were significantly higher in the SUI group.
Conclusion. Transperineal ultrasonography is a practical, reliable, non-invasive and comfortable method for the SUI evaluation. The advantage of ultrasound is the dynamic assessment of urethro-vesical segment parameters during the Valsalva maneuver, which reliably reflects urethral hypermobility and correlates with the SUI symptoms.
Keywords: Stress urinary incontinence, transperineal ultrasound, hypermobility of urethra, intrinsic sphincter deficiency.