Ultrasound estimated bladder weight in asymptomatic adult females.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the bladder weight by automated ultrasound method (BladderScan BVM 9500) in adult females without lower urinary tract symptoms and to assess both the intra-observer and interobserver reproducibility of this method.


METHODS
Healthy volunteers were recruited in King Khalid University Hospital from hospital staff and patients attending the gynecological clinic over a period of six months. All women were screened for any lower urinary tract symptoms using a validated short version of Urinary Distress Inventory questionnaire. BladderScan BVM 9500 device (Diagnostic Ultrasound, Bothell, WA) was used to measure bladder wall thickness, bladder volume, and calculated bladder weight.


RESULTS
Eighty-five women were included in the study. The mean age was 37.5 years (± 11.1). Mean bladder wall thickness (BWT) was 1.68 mm (95% confidence interval: 1.61 to 1.75) and the mean ultrasound-estimated bladder weight (UEBW) was 32.25 g (95% confidence interval: 31.7 to 32.8). The UEBW intra-observer (ICC: 0.81) and interobserver (ICC: 0.8) reproducibility were excellent while intra-observer (ICC: 0.55) and interobserver (ICC: 0.6) reproducibility for BWT were moderate. No correlation was found between UEBW and age, height, body weight, or bladder volume.


CONCLUSIONS
The estimated bladder weight by automated ultrasound device in asymptomatic adult females yields reproducible measurements and can be used as a reference for future understanding of the changes in bladder weight related to different types of urinary incontinence or voiding disorders.
Department of Obstetrics, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. ghadeer-alshaikh@hotmail.com
Ghadeer
G
Al-Shaikh
Hazem
H
Al-Mandeel
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D009929:Organ Size; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014463:Ultrasonography; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D055815:Young Adult