Evaluation of Urethra and Anterior Wall Vaginal Leiomyoma by Translabial/Transurethral Sonography

Abstract

Recent advances in sonography have dramatically improved the evaluation of the female urethra and vaginal canal. Widespread use of sonography for the detection of vaginal masses presents a less expensive way to identify pathology. The author recently encountered a patient with a rare vaginal mass. The following case illustrates translabial and transurethral sonography defining a vaginal mass directly under the urethra with no urethra luminal abnormalities. In general, the identification of a vaginal mass would lead most physicians to consider magnetic resonance imaging for characterization. Sonography presents an opportunity to provide accurate information without increasing medical cost to the patient. To the author’s knowledge, this is the first report describing translabial and transurethral sonography using a 10-MHz linear transducer to determine extension of a tumor from the vaginal wall into the lumen of the urethra.

Transperineal and endovaginal ultrasound for evaluating suburethral masses: comparison with magnetic resonance imaging

“…Other studies have reported that suburethral masses may also be complex and multilocular due to internal septa 17,18 , particularly urethral diverticula, which have been described to be complex and encircle the urethra 20 , as shown in this study. Urethral leiomyomas are reported to be well-circumscribed with varying consistency, therefore, may be hypoechoic, particularly when cystic degeneration has occurred 21,22 . This happens typically in larger masses, such as the leiomyoma described in one case in this study, which measured 72 mm in its largest diameter on US 22 .…”