The use of ultrasound in the evaluation of pelvic organ prolapse

Abstract

Pelvic organ prolapse is a common problem significantly affecting women's quality of life, particularly in later years. Transperineal, two-dimensional ultrasonography can be used for the assessment of female pelvic floor dysfunction for pelvic organ morphology, tissue biomechanics and in vivo properties of prosthetic implants. The role of transperineal ultrasound for the assessment of pelvic organ prolapse is still developing, but with the rapid development of three- and four-dimensional technology may allow dynamic assessment of anatomy in the axial plane. Three-dimensional ultrasound also permits the storage of data volumes for analysis at a later stage, which introduces the ability to independently review images in any plane offline. Further evaluation and research of this imaging tool is required to identify its place in the assessment of women for pelvic organ prolapse and its role in surgical audit.