Variations in maximum urethral closure pressure in stress urinary incontinence

Abstract

Introduction: Urethral Pressure Profilometry (UPP) assesses the urethral closing function. The literature is scarce regarding the change in the Maximum Urethral Closure Pressure (MUCP) values during Pelvic Floor Muscle Contraction (PFMC). The objective was to evaluate the change in the urethral closure pressure (UCP) at rest and during a PFMC in patients with Stress Urinary Incontinence. Materials and methods: This was a descriptive, comparative, and observational study. The study comprised female patients with either Pure Stress Urinary Incontinence (PSUI) or Complicated Stress Urinary Incontinence (CSUI). The urethral closure pressure was measured at rest and during PFMC using urethral profilometry. The effect of the pelvic musculature contraction was evaluated by comparing the changes in the indicated values. Results: Patients with pure stress urinary incontinence had a mean age of 57.18 ± 10.74 years ( p = 0.12), while those with complicated stress urinary incontinence had a mean age of 58.26 ± 14.39 years ( p = 0.12). UCP in PSUI was 58.58 ± 26.96 cmH2O at rest compared to 61.26 ± 34.17 cmH2O in CSUI ( p = 0.59), with MUCP increasing to 73.93 ± 31.51 and 79.71 ± 36.26 cmH2O during PFMC ( p = 0.001). Between the two measurements, there was an average rise of 26.2% (range 26.2%−32.59%) ( p = 0.001). MUCP during PFM contractions was found to be inversely associated to age ( r = −0.28, p = 0.007). Conclusion: The urethral pressure profile is the same for all types of urinary stress incontinence, whether simple or complicated. When comparing UCP at rest to MUCP during PFMC, there is at least a functional 25% increase.