MRI of pelvic floor dysfunction: Review

Yan Mee Law, Julia R. Fielding

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

93 Scopus citations

Abstract

It has been long known that women with symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction frequently have involvement of multiple compartments. MRI of the pelvic floor allows simultaneous assessment of all three compartments of the pelvic floor before surgery in patients with pelvic floor dysfunction and patients in whom conservative management is unsuccessful. In so doing, MRI may reduce the risk of surgical failure and the recurrence or persistence of the debilitating symptoms after surgery. The use of ultrafast T2-weighted sagittal MRI described in this article allows noninvasive dynamic imaging of the pelvic floor, providing anatomic and functional information that will be useful to urogynecologists and surgeons. In addition, the use of high-resolution axial T2-weighted sequences of the pelvis allows identification of torn muscles and ligaments in patients with pelvic floor dysfunction who require surgery. The use of the pubococcygeal and H and M reference lines in the interpretation of the MR images is a simple method of identifying pelvic organ descent. For complete assessment of the severity of pelvic organ prolapse, MRI findings should be correlated with the severity of the patient's clinical symptoms.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)S45-S53
JournalAmerican Journal of Roentgenology
Volume191
Issue number6 SUPPL.
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2008

Keywords

  • Cystocele
  • MRI
  • Pelvic floor dysfunction
  • Rectocele

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging

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