Abstract
Lower urinary tract, anorectal and pelvic floor dysfunction are common in women, leading to urinary and fecal incontinence, recurrent urinary tract infections, female pelvic organ prolapse, obstructed defecation and a number of less prevalent conditions. These problems do not usually threaten the patient's life, but they can greatly affect quality of life.
The increasing availability of diagnostic ultrasound equipment in the clinical setting has, over the last decade in particular, triggered a renewed interest in diagnostic imaging in female proctology, urology and urogynaecology. From the 1980's onwards, transabdominal, perineal, transrectal and transvaginal ultrasound have been investigated for use in women suffering from urinary incontinence and prolapse.
Due to its non-invasive nature, ready availability and the absence of distortion, perineal or translabial ultrasound is currently used most widely. Most recently, the development of 3D ultrasound has opened up new diagnostic possibilities by allowing dynamic imaging in any user-defined plane, and this has been particularly relevant for axial plane imaging of the levator ani muscle.