Application of ultrasound contrast agents for the characterization of female urethral vascularization in healthy pre- and postmenopausal volunteers: preliminary report.
OBJECTIVE
Vascularization of the female urethra is an important factor contributing to the sealing effect responsible for the normal urethral closing system. The aim of this study was to assess whether contrast enhanced ultrasonography can be used to evaluate changes in urethral vascularization between pre- and postmenopausal women.


METHODS
We studied the vascularization of female urethra in 11 healthy premenopausal females during the midfollicular phase of the menstrual cycle and 10 healthy postmenopausal volunteers using ultrasound contrast agents with a 2-5 MHz curved-array transducer by a translabial approach. Reperfusion curves were analyzed by a blinded investigator. Ultrasound contrast agents were measured with specifically designed software, and results were evaluated using the Mann-Whitney U-test.


RESULTS
The data suggest that the enhancement characteristics of the urethra were different in pre- and postmenopausal women and that the percent of blood volume and blood flow decreased with age. No changes were observed between pre- and postmenopausal women regarding the velocity of blood flow.


CONCLUSIONS
The study of female urethra vascularization by ultrasound contrast agents is safe, feasible, and noninvasive.
Siracusano
Salvatore
S
Department of Urology, Trieste University, Italy. siracus@univ.trieste.it <siracus@univ.trieste.it>
Bertolotto
Michele
M
Cucchi
Antonio
A
Lampropoulou
Nikolitsa
N
Tiberio
Anna
A
Gasparini
Cristiana
C
Ciciliato
Stefano
S
Belgrano
Emanuele
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D002214:Capsules / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008875:Middle Aged; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000502:physiology*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017698:Postmenopause; D017697:Premenopause; D012016:Reference Values; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014521:Urethra / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology
D002214:Capsules; D010743:Phospholipids; C420843:contrast agent BR1; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride