The Role of MRI in the Diagnosis of Pelvic Floor Disorders.

Abstract

This article provides an overview of MRI as a dynamic imaging modality as well as recent updates on the role of MRI in the evaluation of female pelvic floor disorders, including pelvic organ prolapse (POP), rectal prolapse, and defecatory dysfunction. Pelvic floor disorders in women are common, and demand for treatment is high. Recently, multidisciplinary guidelines for dynamic MRI have been published to reflect this need. Despite criticisms that MRI is an expensive modality, cost-analysis studies are demonstrating utility for MRI in surgical decision-making trees for patients at risk for treatment failure after POP repairs. Novel measures such as anterior pelvic area and levator volumes are being used to predict and study patients with and at risk for POP. Recent standardized radiographic guidelines as reviewed in this paper will likely lead to improved reproducibility of dynamic MRI techniques across institutions, making complex pelvic floor assessment increasingly accessible to patients while creating opportunities for novel and collaborative research.