TY - JOUR
T1 - Diagnosis of anal sphincter defects by three-dimensional transperineal ultrasound in women with anal incontinence
AU - Hotta, Kumi
AU - Murayama, Ryoko
AU - Yoshida, Mikako
AU - Hyodo, Hironobu
AU - Kobayashi, Koichi
AU - Haruna, Megumi
AU - Matsuzaki, Masayo
AU - Kozuma, Shiro
AU - Murashima, Sachiyo
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgments The authors are grateful to the participants for their cooperation. Many insightful comments and suggestions are gratefully acknowledged. We are grateful for the technical assistance of GE Health Care Japan. This study was funded by grants from the Japan Academy of Midwifery (contact Research 2010) and JSPS KAKENHI (23593283) [Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (c)].
PY - 2012/10
Y1 - 2012/10
N2 - Purpose To assess the utility of transperineal threedimensional (3D) ultrasound for diagnosing anal sphincter defects and evaluating the function of the anal canal in women with anal incontinence. Methods The study subjects were 13 women with anal incontinence. Symptoms of fecal incontinence were assessed by Wexner score. The anal canal of each woman was examined ultrasonically with both a convex transperineal 3D scanner and a radial transanal scanner to compare the accuracy of the two approaches for diagnosis of anal sphincter defects. The anorectal angle and the length of the anal canal were also measured by utilizing the functionality of the transperineal 3D ultrasound. Results The mean age was 58.9 ± 14.9 years (±SD), and the mean Wexner score was 8.4 ± 5.6. In terms of ultrasound diagnosis of anal sphincter defects, the two methods showed consistent results in each woman. The length of the portion where both the internal and external anal sphincters were intact was significantly correlated with the Wexner score, whereas the total length of the anal canal was not. Conclusions Less invasive transperineal 3D ultrasound provides accurate evaluation of the internal and external anal sphincters in women with anal incontinence, and the method is potentially useful for detection of anal sphincter abnormalities.
AB - Purpose To assess the utility of transperineal threedimensional (3D) ultrasound for diagnosing anal sphincter defects and evaluating the function of the anal canal in women with anal incontinence. Methods The study subjects were 13 women with anal incontinence. Symptoms of fecal incontinence were assessed by Wexner score. The anal canal of each woman was examined ultrasonically with both a convex transperineal 3D scanner and a radial transanal scanner to compare the accuracy of the two approaches for diagnosis of anal sphincter defects. The anorectal angle and the length of the anal canal were also measured by utilizing the functionality of the transperineal 3D ultrasound. Results The mean age was 58.9 ± 14.9 years (±SD), and the mean Wexner score was 8.4 ± 5.6. In terms of ultrasound diagnosis of anal sphincter defects, the two methods showed consistent results in each woman. The length of the portion where both the internal and external anal sphincters were intact was significantly correlated with the Wexner score, whereas the total length of the anal canal was not. Conclusions Less invasive transperineal 3D ultrasound provides accurate evaluation of the internal and external anal sphincters in women with anal incontinence, and the method is potentially useful for detection of anal sphincter abnormalities.
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U2 - 10.1007/s10396-012-0369-4
DO - 10.1007/s10396-012-0369-4
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84868342428
SN - 1346-4523
VL - 39
SP - 241
EP - 247
JO - Journal of Medical Ultrasonics
JF - Journal of Medical Ultrasonics
IS - 4
ER -