Inter- and intraobserver reliability for diagnosing levator ani changes on magnetic resonance imaging.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the inter- and intraobserver reliability of the diagnosis of pubovisceral muscle avulsions and measurements of the levator hiatus on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: Women with recurrent pelvic organ prolapse or in whom there was a discrepancy between clinical signs and symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction underwent MRI and were eligible for inclusion. MRI datasets of the pelvic floor of 262 women were obtained and evaluated by two observers, who scored the presence and extent of pubovisceral muscle avulsions on each side using a scale from 0 to 3 and obtained measurements of the anteroposterior and transverse diameters and area of the levator hiatus. A random sample of 100 patients was reviewed a second time by one of the observers. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) with their 95% CI were calculated for all measurements. Mean differences with accompanying limits of agreement were calculated to estimate agreement between pairs of measurements and to detect possible systematic bias. RESULTS: Good interobserver reliability was found for the assessment of pubovisceral muscle avulsions (ICC = 0.76-0.79) and excellent agreement for measurements of the levator hiatus (ICC = 0.85-0.89). The intraobserver reliability for pubovisceral muscle avulsions and other levator hiatus measurements was also excellent (ICC = 0.80-0.97). A significant interobserver systematic bias was observed in the measurement of levator hiatus transverse diameter; however, narrow limits of agreement were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Pubovisceral muscle avulsions and levator hiatus measurements can be assessed with good to excellent reliability on MRI.

Surgical management of pelvic organ prolapse and uterine descent in the Netherlands.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: To evaluate current practice in the surgical treatment of uterine descent among members of the Dutch Urogynecological Society and to analyze possible trends in the surgical treatment of pelvic organ prolapse in the Netherlands during the last decade. METHODS: A questionnaire, including case scenarios, was sent to the members of the Dutch Urogynecological Society. Using a nationwide registry from the Netherlands, we assessed the number and type of surgical procedures performed for pelvic organ prolapse between 1997 and 2009. RESULTS: The response rate was 73%, with 161 questionnaires completed. Vaginal hysterectomy, sacrospinous hysteropexy, and the Manchester Fothergill procedure were the most frequently performed surgical interventions for uterine descent. In the case of lower stage uterine descent, uterus preservation was preferred, but in the case of higher stage there was wide variation. Two thirds of the respondents stated that in recent years they tended to save the uterus more often. The registered number of hospital admissions for uterine descent increased by 30% between 1997 and 2009 and the number of surgical procedures almost doubled. The number of vaginal hysterectomies performed because of uterine descent increased by only 15% in this period. CONCLUSIONS: In the Netherlands, surgical policy in the case of uterine descent is very variable, with no clear preference for either hysterectomy or uterus preservation. There was a high increase in hospital admissions and pelvic organ prolapse procedures in the last decade. The number of vaginal hysterectomies performed because of uterine descent did not follow this change, which reflects a trend toward preserving the uterus.

Surgical treatment of pelvic organ prolapse: a historical review with emphasis on the anterior compartment.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The objective of this work was to collect and summarize a detailed historical review of the surgical treatment of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) in which we specifically focused on the anterior compartment. METHODS: A literature search in English, Dutch, and German was carried out using the keywords pelvic organ prolapse, anterior colporrhaphy, cystocele, and interposition operations in several databases (e.g., PubMed and HathiTrust Digital Library). Other relevant journal and textbook articles were found by retrieving references cited in previous articles and textbooks. RESULTS: Probably the first explanation of the treatment of POP dates from 1500 B.C. The Egyptians gave a description to "falling of the womb" in the Kahun Papyrus. More than a millennium later, Euryphon, a contemporary of Hippocrates (400 B.C.) described some interesting therapeutic options, from succussion (turning a women upside down for several minutes) to irrigating the displaced uterus with wine. A wide range of techniques has been attempted to repair the prolapsing anterior vaginal wall. By 1866, Sim had already performed a series of operations very similar to a modern anterior repair. The first reviews about the abdominal approach to correcting a cystocele were in 1890. The first description of using mesh to cystoceles was the use of tantalum mesh in 1955. In 1970, the first report of collagen mesh in urogynecology was described. Nowadays, robot-assisted surgery and cell-based tissue engineering are the latest interventions. CONCLUSION: Many surgeons have tried to find the ideal surgical therapy for anterior compartment prolapse, but to date, this has not been achieved.

Comparison of two trocar-guided trans-vaginal mesh systems for repair of pelvic organ prolapse: a retrospective cohort study.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The aim of this study was to compare failure and complication rates in patients who underwent a trocar-guided vaginal mesh repair with either a non-absorbable or a partially absorbable mesh. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from consecutive women undergoing either non-absorbable or partially absorbable mesh for symptomatic stage 2 prolapse or higher were evaluated at 12 months. Outcome measures included objective and subjective failure rates, patient's satisfaction, complications and perioperative outcomes. RESULTS: Five hundred and sixty-nine women (347 with non-absorbable mesh, 222 with partially absorbable mesh) were included. Failure rates were similar in the two groups; the re-operation rate in the untreated compartments was higher in the non-absorbable mesh group compared with the partially absorbable mesh group (5% vs 1%). Mesh exposure rate in the non-absorbable mesh group was 12% and in the partially absorbable mesh group it was 5%. Other complication and patient satisfaction rates were similar. CONCLUSIONS: Non-absorbable and partially absorbable mesh demonstrated similar outcome rates at 12 months. The risk of reoperation was lower for partially absorbable mesh. The mesh exposure rate was significantly lower for the partially absorbable mesh group compared with the non-absorbable mesh group.

Development of de novo prolapse in untreated vaginal compartments after prolapse repair with and without mesh: a secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the de novo prolapse rate in the untreated vaginal compartments following conventional vaginal prolapse repair and tension-free vaginal mesh repair. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Thirteen centres in the Netherlands. POPULATION: Women with recurrent pelvic organ prolapse stage II or higher. METHODS: Random assignment to either conventional vaginal native tissue repair or vaginal mesh insertion. PRIMARY OUTCOME: de novo pelvic organ prolapse stage II or higher in the untreated vaginal compartments at 12 months after surgery. SECONDARY OUTCOMES: de novo pelvic organ prolapse at and beyond the hymen, de novo prolapse beyond the hymen and prolapse domain scores of the Urogenital Distress Inventory. RESULTS: At 12 months ten of 59 women (17%) in the conventional group versus 29 of 62 women (47%) in the mesh group were diagnosed with a de novo pelvic organ prolapse stage II or higher in the untreated compartment (P < 0.001, odds ratio 4.3, 95% confidence interval 1.9-10.0). Additional apical support to a mesh-augmented anterior repair significantly reduced the de novo prolapse rate. Women with a de novo prolapse in the mesh-treated group demonstrated significantly higher mean bother scores on the domain genital prolapse of the Urogenital Distress Inventory score (13.1 ± 24.2) compared with those without de novo prolapse (2.9 ± 13.9) (P = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Mesh-augmented prolapse repair in only one vaginal compartment is associated with a higher de novo prolapse rate in the untreated compartments compared with conventional vaginal native tissue repair in women with recurrent pelvic organ prolapse.

Can preoperative urodynamic investigation be omitted in women with stress urinary incontinence? A non-inferiority randomized controlled trial.

AIMS: To assess in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) the value of urodynamics prior to treatment. METHODS: We performed a multicenter non-inferiority randomized controlled trial. Women with SUI were randomly allocated to management based on a workup with or without urodynamics. The primary outcome was clinical reduction of complaints as measured with the Urogenital Distress Inventory urinary incontinence subscale (UDI-UI) at 12 months after the onset of treatment. A mean difference in improvement of less than 8 was considered non-inferior. The study was analyzed according to intention-to-treat. RESULTS: The trial was stopped prematurely because of slow recruitment. We randomly allocated 59 women to a strategy with (N = 31) or without (N = 28) urodynamics. The mean difference in improvement on the UDI-UI was 14 in favor of the group without urodynamics (48 SD ± 22 vs. 34 SD ± 22, 95% CI: -28 to -0.26), confirming non-inferiority. Addition of urodynamics did not result in a lower occurrence of de novo overactive bladder complaints compared to a workup without urodynamics (6/31 vs. 1/28; RR 5.4, 95% CI: 0.70-42). In the group allocated to urodynamics, initial surgical management was more often abandoned compared to the group not allocated to urodynamics (5/31 vs. 1/28; RR 4.5, 95% CI: 0.56-36). CONCLUSIONS: In this relatively small study, the omission of urodynamics was not inferior to the use of urodynamics in the preoperative workup of women with SUI. Women with SUI undergoing urodynamics had the risk of a choice for more prudent treatment, which seemed to result in a delay until effective treatment.

Pelvic organ prolapse and overactive bladder.

AIMS: In this review we try to shed light on the following questions: *How frequently are symptoms of overactive bladder (OAB) and is detrusor overactivity (DO) present in patients with pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and is there a difference from women without POP? *Does the presence of OAB symptoms depend on the prolapsed compartment and/or stage of the prolapse? *What is the possible pathophysiology of OAB in POP? *Do OAB symptoms and DO change after conservative or surgical treatment of POP? METHODS: We searched on Medline and Embase for relevant studies. We only included studies in which actual data about OAB symptoms were available. All data for prolapse surgery were without the results of concomitant stress urinary incontinence (SUI) surgery. RESULTS: Community- and hospital-based studies showed that the prevalence of OAB symptoms was greater in patients with POP than without POP. No evidence was found for a relationship between the compartment or stage of the prolapse and the presence of OAB symptoms. All treatments for POP (surgery, pessaries) resulted in an improvement in OAB symptoms. It is unclear what predicts whether OAB symptoms disappear or not. When there is concomitant DO and POP, following POP surgery DO disappear in a proportion of the patients. Bladder outlet obstruction is likely to be the most important mechanism by which POP induces OAB symptoms and DO signs. However, several other mechanisms might also play a role. CONCLUSIONS: There are strong indications that there is a causal relationship between OAB and POP.

Face validity and reliability of the first digital assessment scheme of pelvic floor muscle function conform the new standardized terminology of the International Continence Society.

AIMS: To test the face validity and reliability of a new digital pelvic floor muscle function (PFMF) assessment scheme that was designed on the basis of the recently standardized terminology of the International Continence Society. METHODS: Study participants comprised 41 women, age 18-85 years. Data on age and parity were obtained. Face validity of the new assessment scheme was tested by three senior and one junior pelvic physiotherapists, using the Delphi technique. PFMF of each woman was assessed four times by three specially trained pelvic physiotherapists. Examiners were blinded to parity and other findings. To test reliability, Kappa (K) was used for the dichotomous variables and Weighted Kappa (K(w)) for the items with more than two categories. RESULTS: Mean age of the women was 41 years (SD 10.5); 14 were nulliparous (34.1%), 6 primiparous (14.6%), and 21 multiparous (51.2%). The new assessment scheme showed satisfactory face validity and intra-observer reliability but low inter-observer reliability. CONCLUSIONS: The new assessment scheme based on the terminology of the ICS showed satisfactory face validity and intra-observer reliability. It can therefore be considered suitable for use in clinical practice. More detailed redefinition of the described outcome measures is necessary to improve the inter-observer reliability.

[The end to the myth that hysterectomy has negative effects on the function of pelvic organs]. / Het einde van de mythe dat hysterectomie negatieve effecten heeft op de functie van de organen in het kleine bekken.

Hysterectomy is sometimes considered the starting point of pelvic floor symptoms, such as urinary incontinence, constipation and sexual disturbances. However, it is questionable whether there is a causal relationship. Such an effect was not found in numerous prospective controlled studies. There is a striking discrepancy between prospective controlled studies and retrospective and cross-sectional studies in this regard. Retrospective and cross-sectional studies frequently report a negative effect of hysterectomy on pelvic organ function. On the basis of the recent literature it may be concluded that non-radical hysterectomy has no detrimental effect on pelvic organ functions.

[Diagnostic image (344). A woman with progressive abdominal pain]. / Diagnose in beeld (344). Een vrouw met toenemende buikpijn.

A 28-year-old woman, three months post partum, presented with abdominal pain due to uterine perforation by a levonorgestrel releasing intrauterine device.

[Some complications of tension-free midurethral tapes for the treatment of stress incontinence in women]. / Enkele complicaties van spanningsvrije midurethrale tapes voor de behandeling van stressincontinentie bij vrouwen.

Complications occurred in two women of 45 and 54 years of age who were treated with tension-free midurethral sling procedures. The first woman was treated with transobturator tape due to stress incontinence and an overactive bladder. The procedure resulted in a worsening of the overactive bladder. The second woman was treated with tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) due to stress incontinence and subsequently suffered from pain on urinating. In the first patient, the tape was found to be too tight and following adjustment of the tape tension, the overactive bladder symptoms and the stress incontinence disappeared. The second woman experienced bladder erosion on the right side. After removal of the tape, the symptoms disappeared but the stress incontinence returned. During the last few years, the surgical treatment of stress urinary incontinence has shifted towards the positioning of tension-free tapes. Because this minimally invasive technique is fairly simple to perform, the number of anti-incontinence surgical procedures has increased threefold in the last 4 years in the Netherlands. The literature states high success rates and low complication percentages. However, in everyday practice, these results cannot always be achieved. Doctors should therefore show caution when selecting patients for tension-free midurethral tape procedures. Furthermore, patient information should clearly indicate the actual results. Initial treatment for stress incontinence should consist of intensive pelvic floor muscle training.

[Increase in number of operations for stress urinary incontinence]. / Stijging van het aantal operaties wegens stressincontinentie.

Since the introduction of the minimally invasive tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) the number of operations performed for treatment of stress urinary incontinence has increased dramatically from over 1600 in 1999 to more than 4200 in 2003. Both gynaecologists and urologists now perform more TVTs and fewer Burch colposuspensions and Marshall-Marchetti-Krantz operations. This increase was apparent before data from proper studies on the effectiveness of the TVT were available. With the increasing popularity of a new and more easily performed variant of the TVT, the transobturator tape, the number of operations is likely to increase further. Gynaecologists and urologists must remain critical in the recommendation of these operations, since complications such as urinary retention and overactive-bladder syndrome with urgency or urge incontinence are well known and difficult to treat. Pelvic-floor physiotherapy, which is accepted by gynaecologists, urologists and general practitioners, should remain the first-line treatment for stress urinary incontinence.

Influence of nonradical hysterectomy on the function of the lower urinary tract.

Hysterectomy will sometimes be identified by the patient as the starting point of lower urinary tract (LUT) symptoms. However, it is questionable whether there is a causal relationship. A number of epidemiological studies have found an increase in the relative risk of LUT symptoms of up to 2.2 in patients after simple hysterectomy. However, in numerous prospective, controlled studies including studies using urodynamic testing before and after the operation, such an effect can not be established. The discrepancy between the two types of studies is striking. A number of possible explanations are presented. It is concluded that there is little or no effect of nonradical hysterectomy on the lower urinary tract function.

Characteristics and motives of women choosing elective induction of labour.

Personal characteristics of healthy term pregnant women who chose elective induction or spontaneous onset of labour and the motives for their choice were assessed. Almost 50% of 237 women with uncomplicated pregnancies opted for elective induction when offered the opportunity. These women appeared to have had more complaints during their pregnancy and menstrual periods, more complications in their obstetrical history and to be more anxious about their labour than women who chose a spontaneous onset of labour. Predominant motives were a feeling of safety and the desire to shorten the duration of pregnancy. These characteristics and motives seem to reflect a lack of trust in physical reproductive functions. It is concluded that in evaluating effects of elective induction of labour, pre-existing differences between women who choose elective induction and women who opt for a spontaneous onset must be taken into account.

The Multispatula; a spatula adjustable to the shape of the individual cervix.

The Multispatula, which is adjustable to the specific shape of each individual cervix, was compared with the Ayre spatula in 236 patients. Two smears were taken from each woman, one with the Ayre and one with the Multispatula. The Multispatula had a significantly higher percentage of smears containing endocervical cells than the Ayre spatula. Disadvantages of the Multispatula are its high price and the sharp edges causing somewhat more pain and bleeding. There were major differences in the quality of the smears between the various sample takers.

Mechanisms of urine loss during sexual activity.

The objective of the study was to establish the prevalence of urine loss during sexual activity and to identify the major mechanisms which cause this complaint. The study was carried out in two gynecological out-patient clinics in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. This exploratory study was conducted by using a detailed questionnaire filled in by all incontinent sexually active female patients. The results show that 66 (34%) of 196 incontinent and sexually active women experienced the complaint. The results are based on 57 women (response rate, 86%). The mean age was 47 years. Deep penetration and abdominal pressure were considered to be responsible in 77%. Also, 74% of the women experienced leakage during orgasm and in 50% it was noticed during clitoral stimulation. It is concluded that urine loss during sexual activity is a frequently encountered problem in female incontinent patients. A multifactorial pathophysiology with mechanical and non-mechanical factors is suggested.

Torsion of the fallopian tube; a case report of a bilateral non-simultaneous torsion and a review of the literature.

The history is described of a patient with bilateral non-simultaneous torsion of the fallopian tubes occurring 10 yr after sterilization and with an interval of 1 yr. A review of the literature is presented which highlights the incidence, the clinical picture, the etiology, the prevention and the treatment of tubal torsion.

Breast-feeding following spontaneous and induced labour.

Carrying out the intention to breast-feed was assessed in 185 mothers divided into four groups according to whether labour was spontaneous, with or without oxytocin augmentation, or induced, either by their own choice or on the advice of their obstetrician. Intention to breast-feed was abandoned most frequently by women in whom labour had been electively induced. As the difference with the other groups could not be explained by obstetric factors, it is concluded that motivational factors may have played a part.

Extra-uterine endometrial stromal sarcoma with DNA flow cytometric analysis.

A case of a primarily extra-uterine low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma is described. The patients clinical course, including various surgical, chemotherapeutical and hormonal therapies, is outlined and discussed. Transition from benign endometriosis to clinically malignant endometrial stromal sarcoma is illustrated by microscopy and DNA flow cytometry. A change in nuclear DNA content is demonstrated. This is possibly a useful aid in identifying the malignant potential of this tumor with such a misleading microscopic appearance.