E-Posters-10045

10045_Nguyen

Pdf Summary

The study aimed to determine the relationship between gestational age (GA) and the size of the levator hiatus (LH) on MRI during pregnancy, as well as compare the LH in the cohort to normative data for non-pregnant women. The MRI images of pregnant patients from 2013 to 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Included were patients with a singleton, viable, intrauterine pregnancy. The charts were reviewed for various variables such as age, BMI, GA at the time of MRI, number of prior vaginal deliveries, number of prior cesarean deliveries, and indication for MRI. The LH AP diameter was measured using MRI T2 haste sagittal cuts in the midline. The data was analyzed using Spearman's correlation and Student's t-test.<br /><br />The results showed that there was no significant association between advancing GA and the size of the LH on MRI, suggesting that the growth of the uterus alone may not be a strong risk factor for pelvic floor relaxation. However, the nulliparous cohort had a larger LH size compared to reference controls, indicating that some degree of pelvic floor relaxation begins during pregnancy. It is unclear whether this affects the long-term risk of prolapse. The small sample size warrants further investigation into the association between pregnancy and changes in pelvic floor musculature.<br /><br />In conclusion, the study found no significant relationship between GA and LH size on MRI during pregnancy. However, the nulliparous cohort had a larger LH size compared to non-pregnant women, indicating some degree of pelvic floor relaxation during pregnancy. Further research is needed to understand the impact of pregnancy on pelvic floor musculature changes.

Keywords

gestational age

levator hiatus

MRI

pregnancy

normative data

non-pregnant women

singleton pregnancy

vaginal deliveries

cesarean deliveries

pelvic floor relaxation