Case presentation: A 48-year-old woman presented with worsening dyspnoea and orthopnoea for one week. She had also experienced weight loss, minimal dry cough and right-sided pleuritic chest pain for several weeks. A chest radiograph showed a right lower zone pleural effusion with no apparent lung consolidation. Lung ultrasound showed a right apical consolidation and right lower zone septated pleural effusion. Pleural fluid investigations showed exudative features of mixed lymphocytic, mesothelial and neutrophilic cellular components. Tuberculin skin test was strongly positive. She was subsequently treated for pleural tuberculosis. One month after treatment, her symptoms had improved considerably.
Discussion: Lung ultrasound has been found to be more effective than chest radiograph in detecting consolidation and diagnosing pneumonia. The portability and efficacy of today's ultrasound machines, including the handheld types, show that lung ultrasound is a practical, reliable and valuable diagnostic tool in managing pulmonary conditions including tuberculosis, provided that the operators are adequately trained.
Conclusion: Lung ultrasound in tuberculosis is the next frontier for clinicians and researchers.
METHODS: Six hundred eighty-eight patients who had MUS between January 2004 and April 2017 were reviewed retrospectively; 48 women were preoperatively diagnosed with ISD. All completed urodynamic studies and validated quality-of-life (QOL) questionnaires at baseline and 1 year. Primary outcomes were objective and subjective cure of stress incontinence, defined as no involuntary urine leakage during filling cystometry and 1-h pad test < 2 g and negative response to Urogenital Distress Inventory-6 Question 3. Ultrasound was performed to determine tape position, urethral mobility and kinking at 1 year.
RESULTS: Women with ISD had significantly lower objective and subjective cure rates of 52.1% and 47.9%, respectively, compared to an overall of 88.2% and 85.9%. QOL scores significantly improved in those with successful surgeries. The sling type did not make a difference. Multivariate logistic regression identified reduced urethral mobility [OR 2.11 (1.24-3.75)], lower maximum urethral closure pressure (MUCP) [OR 1.61 (1.05-3.41)] and tape position [OR 3.12 (1.41-8.71)] to be associated with higher odds of failed slings for women with ISD.
CONCLUSIONS: Although there are good overall success in women undergoing MUS, those with ISD have significantly lower cure rates at 1 year. Factors related to failure include reduced urethral mobility, low MUCP and relative tape position further away from the bladder neck. Optimal management of patients with ISD and reduced urethral mobility remains challenging.
METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study at a tertiary urogynecological unit. A total of 337 patients were seen for a standardized interview, clinical examination (ICS POP-Q) and 4D translabial ultrasonography. Stored imaging data were analyzed offline to evaluate functional pelvic floor anatomy and investigate associations with symptoms and other findings.
RESULTS: Of the 337 women seen during the study period, 13 were excluded due to missing data, leaving 324. Vaginal laxity was reported by 24% with a mean bother of 5.7. In a univariate analysis, this symptom was associated with younger age, vaginal parity, POP symptoms and bother, clinically and sonographically determined POP and hiatal area on Valsalva maneuver.
CONCLUSIONS: Vaginal laxity or 'looseness' is common in our urogynecology service at a prevalence of 24%. The associated bother is almost as high as the bother associated with conventional prolapse symptoms. It is associated with younger age, vaginal parity, symptoms of prolapse, prolapse bother and objective prolapse on POP-Q examination and imaging, suggesting that vaginal laxity may be considered a symptom of prolapse. The strongest associations were found with gh + pb and hiatal area on Valsalva maneuver, suggesting that vaginal laxity is a manifestation of levator ani hyperdistensibility.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective follow-up study on patients with clinically confirmed stress urodynamic incontinence and urodynamic stress incontinence who had undergone MiniArc or Monarc surgery. Data regarding preoperative evaluation, intraoperative complications and post-operative follow-ups were collated. Main outcome is to determine the change in position of the sling through measurement of the x- and y-axis at rest and during Valsalva maneuver using the 3D introital ultrasound.
RESULTS: A total of 138 patients were evaluated, 82 belonged to Monarc and 56 to MiniArc. At 3years, objective and subjective cure rates for MiniArc and Monarc were comparable (88%, 91%; p>0.05; 83%, 89%, p>0.05 respectively). Ultrasonographic changes between MiniArc and Monarc from 6 months to 3 years, showed MiniArc to exhibit significant movement in both x- [3.0 ±0.4 mm vs. 2.2 ±0.3 mm (p = 0.02) at rest; 2.6 ±0.3 mm vs. 1.6 ±0.3 mm (p<0.001) during valsalva] and y-axis [3.5 ±0.5 mm vs. 2.0 ±0.3 mm (p<0.001) at rest; 3.3 ±0.5 mm vs. 2.9 ±0.3 mm (p = 0.037) during Valsalva]. The mobility of MiniArc was significantly more than Monarc from rest to Valsalva (1.1 ±0.4 mm vs. 0.3 ±0.3 mm, p = 0.001). Tightness of the sling assessed from the major and minor axis of the urethral core had no significant difference in both groups at rest and during Valsalva. Urethral kinking percentage and the location of the sling did not yield statistical difference.
CONCLUSION: Maintenance of continence rates of mid-urethral slings depends on the compressive effect of the sling on the urethra, urethral kinking, and sling fixation. From 6months to 3 years, MiniArc changed its position in both x- and y-axis over time, which the authors attribute to loosening of the anchoring mechanism since no clinical relevance could be sought.