Urinary incontinence should be added to the manifestation in women with Marfan syndrome.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: We aimed to compare the incidence of urinary incontinence in women with Marfan syndrome and controls, hypothesizing that connective tissue abnormality could contribute to urinary incontinence. METHODS: A cross-sectional historical cohort study was conducted on 14 premenopausal women with Marfan syndrome and 534 controls using Urogenital Distress Inventory Short Form and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire Short Form. RESULTS: Marfan subjects had significantly higher incidence of urinary symptoms, stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and urge urinary incontinence (UUI) than controls (P = 0.02, P = 0.03, P = 0.02), despite their lower parity (P = 0.01). Direct logistic regression analysis indicated that Marfan syndrome, parity and age were associated with SUI; while Marfan syndrome was the only significant predictor of UUI. CONCLUSIONS: Premenopausal women with Marfan syndrome had a higher incidence of reported urinary symptoms. Urinary incontinence should be added to the list of clinical manifestations in women with Marfan syndrome.

Chinese validation of Urogenital Distress Inventory and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire short form.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: UDI-6 and IIQ-7 are useful disease-specific questionnaires evaluating the impact of urinary incontinence on the QOL of women. We aim at validating them in Chinese language. METHODS: Both instruments were translated; 207 urinary incontinent women completed UDI-6 and IIQ-7, SF-36, bladder diary and urodynamic evaluation. The reliability and validity were assessed. RESULTS: There were high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha for UDI-6 and IIQ-7 was 0.80 and 0.93) and test-retest reliability (Intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.72 and 0.75, P < 0.001). Scoring of UDI-6 and IIQ-7 was negatively correlated with SF-36 (P < 0.001); positively correlated with daytime urinary frequency and incontinent episodes (P < 0.001), and women's VAS (P < 0.001). Subscales of UDI-6 and IIQ-7 could discriminate women with different urodynamic diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: The Chinese UDI-6 and IIQ-7 is reliable and valid. Study on the responsiveness to treatment is in progress. They are useful in assessing impact of the urinary incontinence in Chinese women.

Determinants of preference for elective caesarean section in Hong Kong Chinese pregnant women.

OBJECTIVE: To find the clinical and socio-demographic determinants for Hong Kong Chinese women who preferred elective caesarean section. DESIGN: Cross-sectional interview survey. SETTING: University teaching hospital, Hong Kong. PARTICIPANTS: A cohort of consecutive Hong Kong Chinese pregnant women (n=660) attending a government-funded obstetric unit catering deliveries in the New Territories in Hong Kong in 2002. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The clinical and socio-demographic determinants of preference for elective caesarean section, in women who could have a trial of vaginal delivery. RESULTS: The overall prevalence for maternal preference for elective caesarean section was 16.7% (95% confidence interval, 13.8-19.6). The factors associated with preferring elective caesarean section were: previous elective caesarean section (odds ratio=7.6; 95% confidence interval, 2.0-28.7) and previous emergency caesarean section (3.8; 1.8-8.2). Among nulliparous women, the prevalence of preference for elective caesarean section was 16.8% (95% confidence interval, 13.0-20.6). Conception by in-vitro fertilisation was found to be significantly associated with preferring elective caesarean section in nulliparous women (odds ratio=5.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-26.4). CONCLUSION: Previous caesarean section and conception by in-vitro fertilisation were determinants for women preferring elective caesarean section.