OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of bladder volume on perineal ultrasound assessments of the urethrovesical junction (UVJ) mobility and proximal urethral (PU) length in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Women with SUI were submitted to perineal ultrasound assessments of UVJ mobility and PU length with both full and practically empty (< 50 ml of urine) bladder. RESULTS: The means, in millimeters, of the measured parameters with a practically empty and full bladder were as follows: at rest: UVJ vertical distance (UVJVD) = 15 and 13.5 (p = 0.3347), UVJ horizontal distance (UVJHD) = 14 and 15 (p = 0.3767), pubourethral distance (PUD) = 13 and 13 (p = 0.8065), PU = 15 and 14 (p = 0.8011); on strain: UVJVD = 0 and 4 (p = 0.0281), UVJHD = 21 and 19.5 (p = 0.7501), PUD = 18.5 and 15 (p = 0.1592), PU = 0 and 4 (p = 0.0479); the resulting movements: UVJVD = 16 and 15 (p = 0.0047), UVJHD = 6 and 5 (p = 0.3542), PUD = 7 and 5.5 (p = 0.1789), PU = 12 and 8 (p = 0.0496). CONCLUSION: The comparison of UVJ parameters using perineal ultrasound with the bladder practically empty as well as full showed that vertical movement of the UVJ and PU length and their status on strain were significantly increased in patients with a practically empty bladder.

Keywords: Urethrovesical junction, Stress urinary incontinence, Perineal ultrasound