Sarpietro, G.; Foti, P.V.; Conte, C.; Matarazzo, M.G. Role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Pelvic Organ Prolapse Evaluation. Medicina2023, 59, 2074.
Sarpietro, G.; Foti, P.V.; Conte, C.; Matarazzo, M.G. Role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Pelvic Organ Prolapse Evaluation. Medicina 2023, 59, 2074.
Sarpietro, G.; Foti, P.V.; Conte, C.; Matarazzo, M.G. Role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Pelvic Organ Prolapse Evaluation. Medicina2023, 59, 2074.
Sarpietro, G.; Foti, P.V.; Conte, C.; Matarazzo, M.G. Role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Pelvic Organ Prolapse Evaluation. Medicina 2023, 59, 2074.
Abstract
Background and objectivesː Physical examination is the predominant method for evaluating pelvic floor defects. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a radiological technique useful to identify the underlying defects of pelvic floor structures that require surgery. The primary aim was to find correspondence between the clinical and radiological staging of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) before and after vaginal surgery. A secondary endpoint was to investigate, through clinical and MRI findings if surgery influences continence mechanisms. Finally, we reported changes in the quality of life in women who underwent surgery for prolapse.
Materials and methodsː Twenty-five women with prolapse stage ≥ 2 POP-Q were recruited in this prospective study. They underwent preoperative clinical examination, MRI at rest and under the Valsalva maneuver, and quality of life questionnaires. Three months after vaginal surgery they repeated clinical and radiological evaluation.
Resultsː Twenty women completed the study. Both clinical and MRI evaluations showed an improvement in prolapse and symptoms after surgery. There were some discrepancies between clinical and radiological staging. MRI parameters did not show differences between pre and postoperative at rest; under the Valsalva maneuver instead, the measurements changed after surgery. Continence was not worsening by the widening of the vesicourethral angle. Patients reported improvement in quality of life.
Conclusionsː MRI is an accurate and objective method to define the stage of prolapse but the clinical evaluation alone is sufficient to stage prolapse before surgery and evaluate the result at follow-up. It is an accurate method to visualize some pelvic structures that can be compromised because of pelvic organ prolapse. MRI showed that vaginal surgery doesn’t affect continence mechanisms.
Keywords
Pelvic organ prolapse; magnetic resonance imaging; vaginal surgery
Subject
Medicine and Pharmacology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
