Obstetric anal sphincter injury: a follow-up questionnaire study on longer-term outcomes.

Introduction And Hypothesis: Obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASIS) contribute significantly to the development of anal incontinence (AI) in women. The aim of this study was to establish the incidence of AI after OASIS and to study the influence on the quality of life (QoL) in patients with OASIS.

Methods: This cohort study, with prospective case-control follow-up, involves women who were treated for OASIS between 2005 and 2012 in two academic medical centers in The Netherlands.

Clinical symptoms related to anal sphincter defects and atrophy on external phased-array MR imaging.

Introduction And Hypothesis: Defecatory complaints have a severe impact on quality of life. The additional value of pelvic floor MRI in patients with defecatory complaints is unclear. Our aim was to correlate the presence of defects and atrophy of the anal sphincter complex using pelvic floor MRI in women with mixed pelvic floor symptoms and to establish patient characteristics and self reported complaints predictive of pathology.

Correlating signs and symptoms with pubovisceral muscle avulsions on magnetic resonance imaging.

Objective: We sought to correlate signs and symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) with pubovisceral muscle avulsions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Study Design: In this retrospective cohort study of 189 women with recurrent POP or unexplained symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction, we reviewed T2-weighted pelvic floor MRI and categorized defects as minor or major avulsion, or as no defect present. Outcomes were correlated to quality-of-life questionnaire scores and data on obstetric and surgical history, together with POP-Quantification (POP-Q) measurements.