title: Vaginal shape at resting pelvic MRI: predictor of pelvic floor weakness?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective was to determine if alteration in vaginal shape seen on nonstraining pelvic magnetic resonance (MR) scans is associated with pelvic floor weakness.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two readers classified the shape of the middle third of the vagina on resting T2-weighted axial images as normal or abnormal for 76 women with and without pelvic floor weakness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing pelvic floor dysfunction were 84% and 68% for reader A and 41% and 91% for reader B. Interobserver agreement was fair (kappa=0.39).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Architectural distortion of vaginal shape on routine pelvic MR imaging may suggest pelvic floor dysfunction but is not diagnostic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 357115, RR210, Seattle, WA 98195-7115, USA. Electronic address: atillack@uw.edu.
authors.forename: Allison A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Tillack
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of California, 505 Parnassus Avenue, Suite M-372, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. Electronic address: Bonnie.joe@ucsf.edu.
authors.forename: Bonnie N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Joe
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of California, 505 Parnassus Avenue, Suite M-372, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. Electronic address: Benjamin.yeh@ucsf.edu.
authors.forename: Benjamin M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.affiliation: Palo Alto Medical Foundation, 701 East El Camino Real, Mountain View, CA 94040, USA. Electronic address: Stephaniejun@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Stephanie L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Jun
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, Box 0946, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. Electronic address: John.kornak@ucsf.edu.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kornak
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, Box 0946, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. Electronic address: Shoujun.Zhao@ucsf.edu.
authors.forename: Shoujun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, 400 Parnassus Avenue, Suite A-610, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. Electronic address: DDeng@urology.ucsf.edu.
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Deng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015588:Observer Variation; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014621:Vagina / Q000033:anatomy & histology*
keywords: MRI; Pelvic floor; Pelvic organ prolapse; Vagina; Women’s imaging