Correlation of the type and degree of cystocele with stress urinary incontinence by transperineal ultrasound

Purpose: To assess the correlation between the type and degree of cystocele and stress urinary incontinence (SUI) by transperineal ultrasound.

Methods: A retrospective study evaluated 207 women who were diagnosed with cystocele by transperineal ultrasound. One hundred and six women who were diagnosed with SUI by a full urodynamic study were enrolled in the SUI group, 101 women without SUI were enrolled in the prolapse group, and 100 normal women with neither SUI nor POP were enrolled as the control group. In the transperineal ultrasound study, the bladder neck, the lowest point of the bladder wall, bladder neck funneling, the retrovesical angle, and the urethra inclination angle were observed at rest and Valsalva.

Results: It was found that 87.7% of patients in the SUI group were diagnosed with cystourethrocele, which was significantly higher than the 47.5% in the prolapse group. In addition, 93.4% of patients in the SUI group were diagnosed with Grade I or II cystocele and 6.6% were Grade III, which was significantly higher than that in the prolapse group. Bladder neck funneling on ultrasonography had a sensitivity of 59.4% and a specificity of 64.1% for the detection of SUI. It was significantly higher in cystourethrocele than isolated cystocele (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: The type and degree of cystocele can be diagnosed by transperineal ultrasound. Cystourethrocele and bladder neck funneling are highly correlated with SUI. Bladder neck funneling may be an important symptom of SUI.