Pelvic Ultrasound Findings in Women with Obstetric Fistula: A Cross-Sectional Study of Cases and Controls
Objective. Obstetric fistula (OF) is a morbid condition caused by prolonged obstructed labor. Women with OF experience profound injury and have high rates of infertility and poor obstetric outcomes. We examined endovaginal ultrasound parameters in women with and without OF. Design/Setting/Sample/Met...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2018-01-01
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| Series: | Obstetrics and Gynecology International |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/7409131 |
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| author | Jeffrey P. Wilkinson Angela M. Bengtson Ennet Chipungu Rachel J. Pope Bonus Makanani Margaret Moyo Mwawi Mwale Jennifer H. Tang |
| author_facet | Jeffrey P. Wilkinson Angela M. Bengtson Ennet Chipungu Rachel J. Pope Bonus Makanani Margaret Moyo Mwawi Mwale Jennifer H. Tang |
| author_sort | Jeffrey P. Wilkinson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective. Obstetric fistula (OF) is a morbid condition caused by prolonged obstructed labor. Women with OF experience profound injury and have high rates of infertility and poor obstetric outcomes. We examined endovaginal ultrasound parameters in women with and without OF. Design/Setting/Sample/Methods. This cross-sectional study enrolled women evaluated at the Fistula Care Centre in Lilongwe, Malawi. Eligibility criteria included age 18–45, prior pregnancy, and a uterus on ultrasound. Participants underwent endovaginal ultrasound with measurement of cervical dimensions. Comparisons were done using t-tests and Fisher's exact test. Among women with OF, linear regression was used to assess whether fistula stage was associated with cervical length. Results. We enrolled 98 cases and 12 controls. Women with OF had shorter cervical lengths (18.8 mm versus 27.3 mm, p < 0.01), as well as shorter anterior (7.0 mm versus 9.3 mm, p < 0.01) and posterior (9.5 mm versus 11.0 mm, p < 0.04) cervical stroma, compared to controls. Conclusion. Women with OF have shorter cervical lengths and anterior and posterior cervical stroma, when compared to women without OF. This may offer a partial explanation for subfertility and poor obstetric outcomes in OF patients. Additional studies to clarify the role of ultrasound in OF patients and prediction of future fertility are warranted. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-92649619e451425a8b1d19d863b5d95a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1687-9589 1687-9597 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Obstetrics and Gynecology International |
| spelling | doaj-art-92649619e451425a8b1d19d863b5d95a2025-02-03T01:11:48ZengWileyObstetrics and Gynecology International1687-95891687-95972018-01-01201810.1155/2018/74091317409131Pelvic Ultrasound Findings in Women with Obstetric Fistula: A Cross-Sectional Study of Cases and ControlsJeffrey P. Wilkinson0Angela M. Bengtson1Ennet Chipungu2Rachel J. Pope3Bonus Makanani4Margaret Moyo5Mwawi Mwale6Jennifer H. Tang7Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Global Women’s Health, Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USAUniversity of North Carolina, Department of Epidemiology, 401 Rosenau Hall, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7455, USAFreedom from Fistula Foundation, Fistula Care Centre, Lilongwe, MalawiBaylor College of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Global Women’s Health, Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USADepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre, MalawiFreedom from Fistula Foundation, Fistula Care Centre, Lilongwe, MalawiMalawi Ministry of Health, Bwaila Maternity Hospital, Lilongwe, MalawiUniversity of North Carolina, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 101 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7570, USAObjective. Obstetric fistula (OF) is a morbid condition caused by prolonged obstructed labor. Women with OF experience profound injury and have high rates of infertility and poor obstetric outcomes. We examined endovaginal ultrasound parameters in women with and without OF. Design/Setting/Sample/Methods. This cross-sectional study enrolled women evaluated at the Fistula Care Centre in Lilongwe, Malawi. Eligibility criteria included age 18–45, prior pregnancy, and a uterus on ultrasound. Participants underwent endovaginal ultrasound with measurement of cervical dimensions. Comparisons were done using t-tests and Fisher's exact test. Among women with OF, linear regression was used to assess whether fistula stage was associated with cervical length. Results. We enrolled 98 cases and 12 controls. Women with OF had shorter cervical lengths (18.8 mm versus 27.3 mm, p < 0.01), as well as shorter anterior (7.0 mm versus 9.3 mm, p < 0.01) and posterior (9.5 mm versus 11.0 mm, p < 0.04) cervical stroma, compared to controls. Conclusion. Women with OF have shorter cervical lengths and anterior and posterior cervical stroma, when compared to women without OF. This may offer a partial explanation for subfertility and poor obstetric outcomes in OF patients. Additional studies to clarify the role of ultrasound in OF patients and prediction of future fertility are warranted.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/7409131 |
| spellingShingle | Jeffrey P. Wilkinson Angela M. Bengtson Ennet Chipungu Rachel J. Pope Bonus Makanani Margaret Moyo Mwawi Mwale Jennifer H. Tang Pelvic Ultrasound Findings in Women with Obstetric Fistula: A Cross-Sectional Study of Cases and Controls Obstetrics and Gynecology International |
| title | Pelvic Ultrasound Findings in Women with Obstetric Fistula: A Cross-Sectional Study of Cases and Controls |
| title_full | Pelvic Ultrasound Findings in Women with Obstetric Fistula: A Cross-Sectional Study of Cases and Controls |
| title_fullStr | Pelvic Ultrasound Findings in Women with Obstetric Fistula: A Cross-Sectional Study of Cases and Controls |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pelvic Ultrasound Findings in Women with Obstetric Fistula: A Cross-Sectional Study of Cases and Controls |
| title_short | Pelvic Ultrasound Findings in Women with Obstetric Fistula: A Cross-Sectional Study of Cases and Controls |
| title_sort | pelvic ultrasound findings in women with obstetric fistula a cross sectional study of cases and controls |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/7409131 |
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