Value of urethral pressure profilometry in the female incontinent patient: A prospective trial with an 8-channel urethral catheter

Objectives. To measure the pressure profiles at different positions of the urethral circumference simultaneously. Methods. Twenty-two women with symptoms of genuine stress incontinence underwent urogynecologic assessment and multichannel urethral pressure profilometry (UPP) at rest with a specially designed 8-channel urethral catheter with radial openings. Results. The distribution pattern of maximum urethral closure pressure (MUCP) and functional urethral length (FUL) values were significantly different (P = 0.004 and P = 0.0004, respectively). Most of the highest MUCP values per patient were found between channels 2 and 4 (P = 0.015), most of the greatest FUL values per patient were found between channels 3 and 4 (P = 0.15). Conclusions. The data of our study substantiate asymmetric radial pressure distribution within the urethra and underline the necessity of cautious interpretation of results of conventional single-channel UPP, which might vary because of transducer orientation. (C) 1998, Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.