Abstract
Objective:To evaluate whether uterosacral ligament (USL) thickness measured using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was associated with overactive bladder (OAB) in otherwise healthy women.Materials and Methods:The study comprised 27 women with OAB and 27 healthy women (control group) who were followed up at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of a tertiary referral center. All subjects were evaluated using pelvic MRI to determine the transverse USL thickness. These measurements were compared between the two groups. p values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.Results:The mean age of women in the OAB and control groups were 43.88±9.36 years and 39.92±5.36 years, respectively. The mean body mass index in the OAB group was 29.77±4.82 kg/m2 and 27.49±3.44 kg/m2 in the control group. In the comparison of Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification system stages between the groups, no statistically significant relationship was determined. In the OAB group, the mean right USL thickness was 2.04±0.34 mm, and the mean left USL was 2.04±0.52 mm. In the control group, the mean right USL thickness was 2.17±0.47 mm, and the mean left USL was 2.09±0.51 mm. There were no statistically significant differences in terms of USL thickness between the OAB and control groups (p>0.05).Conclusion:No previous studies have been identified in the literature that have investigated the relationship between USL thicknesses and urinary incontinence. In the present study, no significant relationship could be demonstrated between right and left USL thicknesses of the OAB and control groups. This was a preliminary study, and further research with larger sample sizes is required to reach a final conclusion.
Highlights
Overactive bladder (OAB) is a significant health problem that can negatively affect quality of life[1]
For all the patients included in the study, a record was made of age, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), parity, type of births, and the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification system (POP-Q) was used, which was first published in 1996, in an article by Bump et al[12] The hymen acts as the set point of indication throughout the POP-Q staging
Comparisons were made between the OAB patient group and the control group in respect of the above-mentioned clinical parameters and the uterosacral ligaments (USL) thickness measured on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Summary
Overactive bladder (OAB) is a significant health problem that can negatively affect quality of life[1]. “OAB” is a term that describes a syndrome of urinary urgency with or without incontinence, which is often accompanied by nocturia and urinary frequency[2,3]. The integral theory indicates that pelvic organ prolapses and abnormal pelvic symptoms such as urge, frequency, nocturia, and pelvic pain are usually caused by connective tissue laxity in the vagina or its supporting ligaments[6]. The pelvic floor muscle forces the vaginal membrane to stretch against the suspensory ligaments to stimulate the micturition stretch receptors. Laxity in the membrane or suspensory ligaments may activate stretch receptors, which are perceived by the cortex as urgency, frequency, and nocturia untimely. Pelvic floor disorders have been evaluated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)(8).
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