A comparison of genital sensory and motor innervation in women with pelvic organ prolapse and normal controls including a pilot study on the effect of vaginal prolapse surgery on genital sensation: a prospective study
Objective To study genital sensory and motor innervation in women with pelvic organ prolapse and to determine the effect of vaginal prolapse surgery on genital sensation. Design A prospective observational study. Setting A tertiary referral unit in northwest England. Population Twenty women complain...
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Published in | BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology Vol. 120; no. 2; pp. 193 - 199 |
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Main Authors | , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Oxford
Blackwell
01.01.2013
Wiley Subscription Services, Inc |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Objective
To study genital sensory and motor innervation in women with pelvic organ prolapse and to determine the effect of vaginal prolapse surgery on genital sensation.
Design
A prospective observational study.
Setting
A tertiary referral unit in northwest England.
Population
Twenty women complaining of prolapse symptoms (including seven undergoing vaginal prolapse repair) and a control group of ten healthy women.
Methods
Women attended a research clinic where genital sensory thresholds were determined by quantitative sensory testing and motor innervation was assessed by concentric needle electromyography (EMG) of the pelvic floor muscles. Women undergoing surgery were assessed preoperatively and postoperatively at 6 months.
Main outcome measures
Primary outcome measure was change in genital vibration threshold and the percentage of polyphasic potentials on EMG.
Results
Healthy control women had normal vibration detection thresholds at the vagina and clitoris. Thresholds in the majority of women with prolapse were abnormal and in all women with prolapse over the age of 50 years. Women with prolapse had a significantly larger percentage of polyphasic potentials of the left pubococcygeus but not the right. There was no significant change in genital sensory thresholds at 6 months postoperatively following vaginal repair.
Conclusions
The majority of women with prolapse have abnormal genital vibration detection, which is particularly evident after the age of 50 years. Impaired sensory function does not correlate with EMG markers of partial motor denervation. In women with abnormal sensory thresholds, no additional effect was detected following vaginal prolapse repair. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-1 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 1470-0328 1471-0528 |
DOI: | 10.1111/1471-0528.12083 |