MRI assessment of mid-urethral ligament changes in female stress urinary incontinence

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the MRI value in changes of mid-urethral ligament injury of female stress urinary incontinence (SUI).Methods Comparison of MRI changes of mid-urethral ligament on 30 healthy female volunteers and 20 female SUI patients.Chi-square test was used to compare the form of SUI patient's mid-urethral support ligaments Results The female nid-urethral support ligaments were composed of 4 groups of ligaments,including the periurethral ligament and pubourethral ligaments (1 pair),and at both sides of the urethra's paraurethral ligaments (1 pair) and suburethral ligament lying dorsal urethra,connecting the urethra and pelvic arcus tendinous fasciae.In normal MRI,ligament was a thin strip and showed low signal on both T1WI and T2WI,T2WI sagittal and cross-section scan was the best combination to show the middle urethral support ligaments changes,with tension;6 patients (20％) in the 30 patients normal control group could be seen tortuously and slack like around the urethra ligaments.Twenty SUI patients mid-urethral support ligaments were performance laxity or rupture,rates were 39％ (47/120) and 42％ (50/120) (x2 =43.191,P ＜ 0.05 ).On T2WI,the ligamentous laxity was floating,and loss tension,also could performance one side extension and thinner than the other side.The ligament rupture was performance of the signal interruption,ligament contracture and one end of liganent attachment points separation.Conclusion MRI can objective effective evaluate the mid-urethral support ligaments' pathological changes in stress urinary incontinence patients. Key words: Ligament ; Urinary incontinence,stress; Magnetic resonance imaging