Sonographic transvaginal bladder wall thickness: does the measurement discriminate between urodynamic diagnoses?
BACKGROUND
Measurement of bladder wall thickness (BWT) using transvaginal ultrasound has previously been shown to discriminate between women with confirmed detrusor overactivity and those with urodynamic stress incontinence. Aim of the current study was to determine if vaginally measured BWT correlates with urodynamic diagnoses in a female population.


METHODS
Between December 2008 and February 2010, adult female consecutive patients undergoing urogynaecologic investigation for lower urinary symptoms were approached to participate in this study. Ethical consent for the current study was obtained. Patients underwent multichannel urodynamics and transvaginal ultrasound measuring the bladder in three location with an emptied bladder.


RESULTS
123 patients were included in the study with a median age of 69 years (range 40-93), median parity of 2 (range 0-3) and a median body mass index of 29.5 kg/m(2) (range 23-38). Urodynamic stress incontinence was diagnosed in 59 patients, DO in 40 and obstruction in 24 cases. Bladder wall thickness was significantly higher in DO patients and in obstruction than in urodynamic stress incontinence. Detrusor pressure at maximum flow rate (pdet/Q(max) ) correlated significantly with BWT.


CONCLUSIONS
Bladder wall thickness shows a significantly positive correlation to pdet/Q(max) and to urodynamic diagnoses of stress incontinence, DO and obstruction.
Urogynaecology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Bern and University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland. annette.kuhn@insel.ch
Annette
A
Kuhn
Sophie
S
Genoud
Dudley
D
Robinson
Gudrun
G
Herrmann
Andreas
A
Günthert
Sonja
S
Brandner
Luigi
L
Raio
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D013557:Switzerland; D014463:Ultrasonography; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D053201:Urinary Bladder, Overactive / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014563:Urodynamics