title: Vaginal opacification during defecography: utility of placing a folded gauze square at the introitus.
abstract: We evaluated the value of placement of a folded gauze square into the urogenital introitus to improve vaginal opacification in 90 patients who underwent defecography. Of the 50 patients who retained the gauze in the introitus, 96% demonstrated excellent or good vaginal opacification. By contrast, only 75% of the 40 patients who lost the gauze during the study were able to achieve the same level of opacification. This difference was shown to be statistically significant (p < 0.002), suggesting that placement of a folded gauze square in the introitus limits loss of contrast from the vagina, which improves vaginal opacification.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Box 3808, Erwin Road, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: V H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Low
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Freed
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001466:Barium Sulfate; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003287:Contrast Media; D019841:Defecography; D005260:Female; D006547:Hernia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D020047:Rectocele / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001745:Urinary Bladder Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014621:Vagina / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D001466:Barium Sulfate