Vaginal elasticity is significantly decreased in vaginal atrophy: a strain elastography study

Objectives:

Strain elastography is a novel method to assess the elasticity of tissues. We aimed to evaluate the value of vaginal strain elastography in women with vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA).

Methods:

Women with or without VVA were enrolled in this prospective study. Participants underwent vaginal cytology and vaginal wall elastography. Vaginal Health Index (VHI) was calculated. Based on Vaginal Maturation Value (VMV), participants were divided into atrophic and nonatrophic groups. Elastography parameters of the vaginal walls were measured in nine regions of interest (ROI). Elastography Index (EI) was defined by the average color score of nine ROIs. Groups were compared with unpaired t test or Mann-Whitney U test. Pearson correlation was used to determine the strength of association between EI and selected parameters. Multiple regression was used to evaluate the association between EI and age, VMV, and vaginal atrophy.

Results:

Ten women were diagnosed with VVA, and twenty had no cytological signs of vaginal atrophy (age-range 38-79 y). VHI score was significantly lower in the atrophic group (mean ± SD, 9.4 ± 2.011 vs 16.6 ± 4.22, P 

Source: Menopause - December 1, 2020 Category: OBGYN Tags: Original Studies Source Type: research