Perineal body anatomy seen by three-dimensional endovaginal ultrasound of asymptomatic nulliparae.

AIM: The perineal body (PB) plays an important role in supporting the pelvic floor and the posterior vaginal wall, but its attachments and relationships are still debated. This study aimed to assess the normal anatomy of the PB using high-resolution three-dimensional endovaginal ultrasound (3D-EVUS) in asymptomatic nulliparae. METHOD: To validate the identification of perineal structures, 3D-EVUS was initially performed on nulliparous cadavers. Fresh frozen pelves were prepared and echogenic structures thought to be the PB, the external anal sphincter, the superficial and deep transverse perineii, pubovaginalis, puboperinealis, puboanalis, puborectalis and iliococcygeus muscles were tagged with biopsy needles, and marked with indigo carmine dye for localization during dissection. In the second part of the study, consecutive asymptomatic nulliparae were prospectively imaged with the same ultrasound modality. Interrater reproducibility was assessed off-line from stored 3D US volumes using a standardized technique. RESULTS: Five fresh frozen pelves and 44 asymptomatic nulliparae were assessed with 3D-EVUS. The PB was seen as an ovoid structure of mixed echogenicity between the rectum and vagina. It appeared to be divided into a superficial level, in contact with the external anal sphincter, the bulbospongiousus and the superficial transverse perineii muscle and a deep level, in contact with puboperinealis and puboanalis muscles. Interobserver repeatability was excellent for the measurements of PB height [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) 0.927], PB depth (ICC 0.969) and PB width (ICC 0.932). CONCLUSION: The PB is divided into two levels with different anatomical relationships with the pelvic floor muscles. 3D-EVUS yields reproducible assessment of this complex structure.

Pelvic floor rehabilitation in the female according to the integral theory of female urinary incontinence. First report.

A new approach to pelvic floor rehabilitation is presented. The aim was to strengthen the three directional muscle forces observed during effort along with their ligamentous insertions. A new anatomical classification guided diagnosis of anatomical defects in the anterior, middle and posterior compartments of the vagina. Where relevant, HRT was administered to prevent long-term collagen loss. Electrotherapy, fast and slow twitch exercises strengthened the striated muscles of the pelvic floor and, therefore, their insertions also. Sixty patients aged 15--86 (mean age: 55 years) were independently assessed at the end of the 3 month programme using the same semiquantitative questionnaire and self-assessment. The median improvement rate per symptom was 65%. Symptom improvement was: stress incontinence,78%; urgency, frequency, 61%; nocturia, 75%; pelvic pain of unknown origin, 65%; involuntary leakage, 68% and bowel problems, 78%. Three patients reported significant worsening of their stress symptoms. This method potentially broadens the conditions amenable to nonsurgical therapy. The preliminary results are promising, and appear to sustain the theory on which they are based. More objective and longer term data, and especially, comparative testing of this regime by other investigators is required.

Medium-term follow-up of the intravaginal slingplasty operation indicates minimal deterioration of urinary continence with time.

An assessment of the medium term efficacy of stress incontinence cure in a group of patients who had undergone the intravaginal slingplasty (IVS) operation is presented. Eighty-five unselected patients, aged 27 to 83 years at the time of surgery, 12 with pure stress symptoms, and 73 with mixed incontinence symptoms underwent the IVS procedure between 31 and 57 months previously (mean 3.9 years). The patients were assessed with the same self-administered semiquantitative questionnaire used in the initial assessment. The results were compared with the original cure rate which was 88% at 1.75 years with another 2.5% more than 70% improved (total 90.5%). The cure rate in the 75 patients assessed at 3.9 years was 81%, with another 8% reporting more than 70% improvement (total 89%). Included in the latter were 2 patients who, though originally designated as failures, gradually achieved almost 100% continence within 2 years of surgery. Deterioration of continence following the IVS operation appears more like the Burch colposuspension than needle suspensions. It is possible to explain deterioration of continence with time in terms of age-related connective tissue laxity of the vaginal hammock. Improvement in 2 women with time can be explained by tightening of the hammock via paraurethral scar contraction with time. Whether the IVS operation improves or deteriorates in the longer term may depend on which process predominates.

Anchoring the midurethra restores bladder-neck anatomy and continence.

Dynamic perineal ultrasound studies show that midurethral anchoring of vagina prevents bladder neck descent, funnelling, and urine loss on effort. Appearances are consistent with continence control by a musculoelastic mechanism.

An anatomical classification--a new paradigm for management of female lower urinary tract dysfunction.

A new anatomical classification specifies anatomical defects in the anterior, middle and posterior zones of the vagina as the cause of female lower urinary tract dysfunction. An external musculoelastic mechanism stretches the vagina to open and close the outflow tract. The same pelvic floor muscles provide a peripheral control mechanism for micturition. The stretched vagina prevents the filling bladder from activating the stretch receptors in the bladder neck. Vaginal laxity may weaken transmission of muscle forces, interfering with urethral opening and closure, a mechanical process. Laxity may also destabilize the peripheral control mechanism, a neurological process, causing bladder control to swing between the open and closed modes urodynamically interpreted as bladder instability. Specific symptoms, signs, and urodynamic tests can be arranged into a pictorial algorithm. This acts as a practical guide for locating the three zones of anatomical defects. It has been possible to reinterpret almost all the definitions and descriptions of the International Continence Society (ICS) in terms of this classification, and to explain how vaginal laxity may cause premature activation of the micturition reflex (detrusor instability), stress incontinence and abnormal emptying (dribble, overflow). This convergence in anatomical and urodynamic (ICS) concepts explains many previously unexplained phenomena, and potentially opens up a new approach to management, nonsurgical strengthening of specific ligaments, or surgical reinforcement thereof with ambulatory "microinvasive" methods which do not require catheterization.

The intravaginal slingplasty operation, a minimally invasive technique for cure of urinary incontinence in the female.

The aim was to evaluate the intravaginal slingplasty operation, a minimally invasive technique for cure of urinary incontinence. Fifty-four unselected patients, aged from 26 to 79 years, mainly with mixed incontinence symptoms, underwent this procedure. It works by tightening the suburethral vagina ('hammock'), and by creating an artificial pubourethral neoligament. Where indicated, repair of uterine prolapse (24 cases), or infracoccygeal sacropexy (17 cases) was also performed. Almost all patients were discharged on the day of, or day after surgery, without requirement for postoperative catheterization, and returned to fairly normal activities, including jobs, within 7 to 14 days. At a mean follow-up time of 15 months, the cure rates for preoperative symptoms were, frequency 88%, nocturia 77%, urge incontinence 89%, stress incontinence (SI) 85%, symptoms of abnormal emptying, 77%, and reduction of mean residual urine from 67.5 mL to 32 mL. The objective cure rate (exercise pad testing) for stress incontinence was 88.6%; taking the group as a whole, urine loss was reduced from a mean of 11.6 g preoperatively to a mean of 0.5 g postoperatively. Urodynamically diagnosed detrusor instability was not a predictor of surgical failure in this study. According to the concepts presented here, symptoms of urinary dysfunction are mainly symptomatic manifestations of abnormal laxity in the vagina or its supporting ligaments. The surgical methods used to correct these defects are fairly simple, safe and easily learnt by an practising gynaecologist.

Severe chronic pelvic pain in women may be caused by ligamentous laxity in the posterior fornix of the vagina.

The aim was to prospectively study the relationship between pelvic pain of otherwise unknown origin and laxity in the posterior vaginal fornix. Twenty-eight patients with negative laparoscopy findings, lower abdominal pain and laxity in the posterior ligamentous supports of the uterus underwent surgical approximation of their uterosacral ligaments. At 3-month review, 85% of patients were cured, and at 12 months, 70%. Nonorganic pelvic pain has frequently been attributed to psychological factors. However, the results suggest that this may be a T12-L1 parasympathetic pain referred to the lower abdomen, perhaps due to the force of gravity stimulating pain nerves unable to be supported by the lax uterosacral ligaments in which they are contained. It was concluded that laxity in the posterior ligaments of the vagina should first be excluded before referring patients with pelvic floor discomfort or pain for psychiatric care.

Urge incontinence history is an accurate predictor of urge incontinence.

The reliability of urge symptoms associated with actual observed urine loss was tested using subtracted cystometry, and a hand-washing pad test in a total of 169 patients with urinary incontinence, 70 of whom had a prior history of urge incontinence. Our results showed: 1. that urodynamic or pad tests performed at a single point in time cannot retrospectively confirm a patient's past history of urge incontinence with any reliability; 2. a patient's history of urge incontinence is likely to be accurate.