Application of Transperineal Pelvic Floor Ultrasound in Changes of Pelvic Floor Structure and Function Between Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Women

Objective: To evaluate the changes of pelvic floor tissue structure and function between pregnant and non-pregnant women from the view of transperineal pelvic floor ultrasound.Methods: Thirty-eight cases of women with a second singleton pregnancy and thirty-two cases of women with a first singleton pregnancy underwent transperineal pelvic floor ultrasound, and their results were compared with forty-two cases of healthy nonpregnant women.Results: The differences of bladder neck descent (BND), rectal ampulla distance and levator hiatus area (LHA) among the three groups were statistically significant (P<0.05), and the differences of BND, rectal ampulla distance, LHA between the women with a second singleton pregnancy group and non-pragnent group were statistically significant (P<0.05). The BND, retrovesical angle at rest (RVA-R) and retrovesical angle underwent Valsalva maneuver (RVA-V) in the group of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) during pregnancy were larger than those in non-SUI group, with significant difference (P<0.05), especially BND and RVA-V (P = 0.00).Conclusion: Transperineal pelvic floor ultrasound has a high resolution of pelvic floor structure and function changes during pregnancy, and can dynamically evaluate pelvic floor function, providing a theoretical basis for early diagnosis and prevention of female pelvic floor dysfunction (FPFD) in subsequent pregnancies.

Automated summary

Transperineal pelvic floor ultrasound can evaluate the changes in pelvic floor tissue structure and function between pregnant and non-pregnant women. This method provides a high-resolution view of the pelvic floor changes during pregnancy, offering a theoretical basis for the early diagnosis and prevention of female pelvic floor dysfunction.