MONDAY, Nov. 23 (HealthDay News) -- In women with lower urinary tract symptoms undergoing MRI imaging, adding a dynamic sequence may provide valuable information on pelvic organ prolapse and urethral anatomy, according to research published in the December issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.
Genevieve L. Bennett, M.D., of the New York University Medical Center in New York City, and colleagues analyzed data from 84 women -- aged 18 to 81 years -- referred for MRI urethral evaluation, most often due to suspected urethral diverticulum. The dynamic sequence involved the women alternating between rest and maximal strain.
The researchers found that nearly 12 percent of women showed urethral abnormalities, and 39.3 percent were diagnosed with pelvic organ prolapse. In these latter patients, prolapse was found in static "at-rest" images in about 12 percent, and it was identified only in dynamic "straining" sequences in 87.9 percent. Most women with prolapse (87.9 percent) were found to have a structurally normal urethra. Factors associated with anterior compartment prolapse included more vaginal deliveries, stress urinary incontinence, and difficulty voiding.
"The results of this study show that in women with lower urinary tract symptoms who undergo MRI for evaluation of a suspected urethral abnormality, the addition of dynamic MRI permits detection of pelvic organ prolapse that may not be evident on static at-rest images and that may also go undetected at physical examination," the authors write.
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