Abstract
Following surgical removal of the prostate, there may be compromise to the function of the pelvic floor muscles causing continence problems. Assessing the pelvic floor muscles of male patients can be an invasive process that causes discomfort, making it worthwhile to evaluate alternatives to the conventional method of Digital Rectal Examination (DRE). Real time ultrasound (RTUS) has been used with female patients as an alternative to internal assessments. This paper examines the reliability and validity of assessing the male pelvic floor using abdominal RTUS.
Methods
Twenty-eight men (mean age 66.2) with a history of treatment for prostate cancer were recruited to the study. They were assessed via DRE and RTUS. Findings from the procedures were correlated for evaluation of validity, and the RTUS readings were repeated by different therapists to assess reliability.
Results
Measurements on screen correlated moderately with DRE findings (r = 0.57, P = 0.002), and RTUS was found to have good reliability (Intra-class Correlation Coefficient = 0.90). Continent men had more movement of the bladder wall on RTUS than those who were incontinent (P = 0.043). Scar tissue and an inability to maintain a moderately full bladder were found to cause the most difficulty in getting a complete picture of pelvic floor movement.
Conclusions
RTUS can be used clinically to examine male pelvic floor function, and its use would be enhanced once it has been established by DRE that a true pelvic floor contraction is occurring. RTUS can give an indication of pelvic floor function as an alternative measurement method when DRE is contraindicated. Neurourol. Urodynam. 30:1329–1332, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1329-1332 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Neurology and Urodynamics |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2011 |
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Assessing muscle function of the male pelvic floor using real time ultrasound. / Nahon, Irmina; Waddington, Gordon; Adams, Roger; Dorey, Grace.
In: Neurology and Urodynamics, Vol. 30, No. 7, 2011, p. 1329-1332.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Assessing muscle function of the male pelvic floor using real time ultrasound
AU - Nahon, Irmina
AU - Waddington, Gordon
AU - Adams, Roger
AU - Dorey, Grace
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - AimsFollowing surgical removal of the prostate, there may be compromise to the function of the pelvic floor muscles causing continence problems. Assessing the pelvic floor muscles of male patients can be an invasive process that causes discomfort, making it worthwhile to evaluate alternatives to the conventional method of Digital Rectal Examination (DRE). Real time ultrasound (RTUS) has been used with female patients as an alternative to internal assessments. This paper examines the reliability and validity of assessing the male pelvic floor using abdominal RTUS.MethodsTwenty-eight men (mean age 66.2) with a history of treatment for prostate cancer were recruited to the study. They were assessed via DRE and RTUS. Findings from the procedures were correlated for evaluation of validity, and the RTUS readings were repeated by different therapists to assess reliability.ResultsMeasurements on screen correlated moderately with DRE findings (r = 0.57, P = 0.002), and RTUS was found to have good reliability (Intra-class Correlation Coefficient = 0.90). Continent men had more movement of the bladder wall on RTUS than those who were incontinent (P = 0.043). Scar tissue and an inability to maintain a moderately full bladder were found to cause the most difficulty in getting a complete picture of pelvic floor movement.ConclusionsRTUS can be used clinically to examine male pelvic floor function, and its use would be enhanced once it has been established by DRE that a true pelvic floor contraction is occurring. RTUS can give an indication of pelvic floor function as an alternative measurement method when DRE is contraindicated. Neurourol. Urodynam. 30:1329–1332, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
AB - AimsFollowing surgical removal of the prostate, there may be compromise to the function of the pelvic floor muscles causing continence problems. Assessing the pelvic floor muscles of male patients can be an invasive process that causes discomfort, making it worthwhile to evaluate alternatives to the conventional method of Digital Rectal Examination (DRE). Real time ultrasound (RTUS) has been used with female patients as an alternative to internal assessments. This paper examines the reliability and validity of assessing the male pelvic floor using abdominal RTUS.MethodsTwenty-eight men (mean age 66.2) with a history of treatment for prostate cancer were recruited to the study. They were assessed via DRE and RTUS. Findings from the procedures were correlated for evaluation of validity, and the RTUS readings were repeated by different therapists to assess reliability.ResultsMeasurements on screen correlated moderately with DRE findings (r = 0.57, P = 0.002), and RTUS was found to have good reliability (Intra-class Correlation Coefficient = 0.90). Continent men had more movement of the bladder wall on RTUS than those who were incontinent (P = 0.043). Scar tissue and an inability to maintain a moderately full bladder were found to cause the most difficulty in getting a complete picture of pelvic floor movement.ConclusionsRTUS can be used clinically to examine male pelvic floor function, and its use would be enhanced once it has been established by DRE that a true pelvic floor contraction is occurring. RTUS can give an indication of pelvic floor function as an alternative measurement method when DRE is contraindicated. Neurourol. Urodynam. 30:1329–1332, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
U2 - 10.1002/nau.21069
DO - 10.1002/nau.21069
M3 - Article
VL - 30
SP - 1329
EP - 1332
JO - Neurology and Urodynamics
JF - Neurology and Urodynamics
SN - 0733-2467
IS - 7
ER -