Comparison of elastography score and strain ratio values according to the presence of stress urinary incontinence in transperineal elastography
Frontiers in Medicine, cilt.13, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 13
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.3389/fmed.2026.1753479
- Dergi Adı: Frontiers in Medicine
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, EMBASE, Directory of Open Access Journals, Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: elastography score, levator ani muscle, pelvic floor, strain ratio, stress urinary incontinence
- Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
- Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Objective: To compare the elastography score (ES) and strain ratio (SR) values in transperineal elastography according to the presence of stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Materials and methods: This retrospective descriptive study included 72 women who underwent transperineal ultrasonographic evaluations of pelvic floor function between January 2020 and April 2022. The study group consisted of 32 women with SUI, and the control group included 40 continent women. Elastography assessments were performed by a single experienced gynecologist using strain elastography focused on the puborectalis portion of the levator ani muscle. The ES was graded on a four-point scale (1 = soft, 4 = hard), and SR values were calculated automatically as the ratio of reference soft tissue to levator ani muscle strain (SR = B/A). Results: The number of vaginal deliveries was significantly higher in the SUI group (2.4 ± 1.3 vs. 1.3 ± 0.9, p = 0.001). ES values were significantly lower in the SUI group compared with the controls at rest (ES: 1.9 ± 0.8 vs. 2.5 ± 0.8, p = 0.002). SR values were significantly lower in the SUI group compared with the controls at rest (SR: 1.72 ± 0.43 vs. 2.15 ± 0.47, p = 0.001). ES values were significantly lower in the SUI group compared with the controls during the Valsalva maneuver (ES: 2.6 ± 0.6 vs. 3.2 ± 0.5, p = 0.001). SR values were significantly lower in the SUI group compared with the controls during the Valsalva maneuver (SR: 2.94 ± 0.53 vs. 3.79 ± 0.61, p = 0.001). Conclusion: Transperineal elastography demonstrated a significant reduction in levator ani muscle elasticity in women with SUI. These findings suggest that SUI is an anatomic disorder that involves biomechanical dysfunction of pelvic floor tissues. Transperineal elastography may serve as a noninvasive, reproducible, and objective tool for evaluating pelvic floor muscle function and monitoring treatment outcomes in clinical practice.