Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29532128›Full record

ArticleInternational urogynecology journal2018

Method and reliability of measuring midurethral area and echogenicity, and changes during and after pregnancy.

Maria K van de Waarsenburg, Nienke E van Hoogenhuijze, Anique T M Grob, Karlijn J Schweitzer, Mariëlla I J Withagen, Carl H van der Vaart

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International urogynecology journal, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 46% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Urethral sphincter volume and urodynamic diagnosis.International urogynecology journal · 2020
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Maria K van de WaarsenburgDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100 Huispostnummer F05.126, 3584 CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands. M.K.vandeWaarsenburg@umcutrecht.nl.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9432-8845
Nienke E van HoogenhuijzeDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100 Huispostnummer F05.126, 3584 CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Anique T M GrobMIRA Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.
Karlijn J SchweitzerDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100 Huispostnummer F05.126, 3584 CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Mariëlla I J WithagenDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100 Huispostnummer F05.126, 3584 CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Carl H van der VaartDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100 Huispostnummer F05.126, 3584 CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
University Medical Center Utrecht · NLUniversity of Twente · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introduction and hypothesisInternal closure of the urethral sphincter is one of the mechanisms in maintaining continence. Little is known about changes in the urethral sphincter during pregnancy. We designed this study to develop a reliable method to measure the area and mean echogenicity of the midurethra during and after pregnancy and to assess changes over time.

methodsTwo observers independently segmented the urethra as follows: in the sagittal plane, the urethra was positioned vertically, the marker was placed in the middle section of the lumen of the urethra, and eight tomographic US images of 2.5 -mm slices were obtained. The central image was selected, and area and mean echogenicity were calculated automatically. Intra- and interobserver reliability were determined by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI). Two hundred and eighty women underwent TPUS at 12 weeks and 36 weeks of gestation and 6 months postpartum, and 3D/4D transperineal ultrasound (TPUS) images of 40 pregnant nulliparous women were used for the reliability study. Paired t tests were used to assess changes in echogenicity and area.

resultsThe ICC for measuring the area was substantial, at 0.77 and for measuring mean echogenicity was almost perfect, at 0.86. In the total study group (n = 280), midurethral area and mean echogenicity were significantly lower 6 months after delivery compared with 12 and 36 weeks of gestation.

conclusionsOur protocol for measuring area and mean echogenicity of the midurethra is reliable. This study indicates that structural changes in the midurethraoccur during pregnancy.

Indexed as

AdultFemaleHumansImaging, Three-DimensionalPostnatal CarePregnancyPrenatal CareProspective StudiesReproducibility of ResultsUltrasonographyUrethra3D/4DAreaEchogenicityTransperineal ultrasoundUrethra

Identifiers

PMID29532128
PMCPMC6132674
OpenAlexW2790623126

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.