Method for diagnosing paravaginal defects using contrast ultrasonographic technique.

Thirty women with pelvic relaxation and genuine stress urinary incontinence were evaluated with a contrast ultrasonography technique developed for the diagnosis of paravaginal defects. Control subjects were continent women with vaginal prolapse and nulliparous asymptomatic women. Seventeen incontinent patients had unilateral right-sided paravaginal defects and 13 had bilateral paravaginal defects. All continent controls with vaginal prolapse had bilateral paravaginal defects. None of the nulliparous controls had paravaginal defects. The contrast ultrasonographic technique also was found to be useful for postoperative evaluation and documentation of the anatomic results achieved after laparoscopic paravaginal repair.