MR features of the levator ani muscle in the immediate postpartum following cesarean delivery.
OBJECTIVE
We wanted to show that at the time of cesarean delivery, the active process of labor itself was sufficient to create early alterations of the pelvic floor musculature as detectable via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).


METHODS
Thirty primipara patients underwent pelvic MRI between the second and third day after cesarean delivery. Ten patients had a cesarean without labor while 20 patients underwent urgent cesarean delivery after the onset of labor.


RESULTS
Patients undergoing active labor during cesarean had 2.7 times more abnormalities than the patients with cesareans without labor. The abnormalities the most frequently found were a hypersignal in the puborectalis (p = .004), a hypersignal in the iliococcygeus (p = .064) and a defect in the orientation of this same muscular bundle (p = .049).


CONCLUSIONS
This preliminary study suggests that active labor during the time of a cesarean induces early lesions of the pelvic muscular floor.
Novellas
Sebastien
S
Service d'Imagerie Diagnostique et Interventionnelle, Centre Hospitalier Régional et Universitaire de Nice, Hôpital Archet 2, Nice, France. NOVELLAS.S@chu-nice.fr
Chassang
Madleen
M
Verger
Sylvie
S
Bafghi
Abdi
A
Bongain
André
A
Chevallier
Patrick
P
D000328:Adult; D002585:Cesarean Section; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000473:pathology*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult