title: The value of pre-operative multicompartment pelvic floor ultrasonography: a 1-year prospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Comprehensive assessment of the pelvic floor (PF) provides information and diagnoses of coexisting abnormalities that may affect operative decisions. Our aim was to establish if pre-operative PF ultrasonography (PFUS) in patients complaining of PF dysfunction can complement clinical findings and contribute to additional management strategies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Females were recruited from the urogynaecology/gynaecology clinics between July and October 2009 and underwent pelvic organ prolapse quantification (POPQ) by an independent examiner. PFUS was performed using two-dimensional (2D) transperineal ultrasound (TPUS), high-frequency 2D/three-dimensional (3D) endovaginal ultrasound (EVUS) using a biplane probe with linear and transverse arrays and a 360° rotational 3D-EVUS. The clinician performing PFUS was blinded to POPQ results. POPQ and PFUS were repeated at 1 year. Two clinicians analysed the scans independently.
  
  
  RESULTS
  158 of 160 females had a POPQ and PFUS. 105 females had pelvic organ prolapse and/or incontinence and 53 asymptomatic females were controls. 26 additional ultrasound diagnoses were noted at baseline and 46 at 1 year using 2D-TPUS and EVUS. Only one female with additional diagnoses on PFUS needed surgical intervention for this condition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Multicompartment PFUS identifies additional conditions to that diagnosed on clinical assessment. However, it neither changes the initial surgical management nor the management at 1-year follow-up and therefore clinical assessment should not be substituted by PFUS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PFUS can be helpful in providing additional information; however, it does not change the initial management of the patient and therefore should not replace clinical assessment.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Croydon University Hospital, London, UK.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Lone
authors: A H
authors: AH
authors: Sultan
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Stankiewicz
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Thakar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D019160:Endosonography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008875:Middle Aged; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D056887:Pelvic Organ Prolapse / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult