Clitoral blood flow using color Doppler ultrasonography in women with and without provoked vestibulodynia

Introduction and hypothesis To compare blood flow of the dorsal clitoral artery in women diagnosed with provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) and in healthy controls using color Doppler ultrasonography. We hypothesized that women with PVD would have a restricted blood flow compared to controls. Methods This...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International Urogynecology Journal 2022-06, Vol.33 (6), p.1489-1494
Main Authors: Bardin, Marcela Grigol, Giraldo, Paulo Cesar, Brito, Luiz Gustavo Oliveira, Cordeiro, Etienne Santos, Amaral, Rose, Morin, Mélanie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Clitoris
Erythema
Flow velocity
Gynecology
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Original Article
Pain
Questionnaires
Ultrasonic imaging
Urology
Veins & arteries
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Summary:Introduction and hypothesis To compare blood flow of the dorsal clitoral artery in women diagnosed with provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) and in healthy controls using color Doppler ultrasonography. We hypothesized that women with PVD would have a restricted blood flow compared to controls. Methods This cross-sectional study evaluated the function of the dorsal clitoral artery through the spectral wave analysis of color Doppler ultrasonography (US) in 20 women diagnosed with PVD according to Friedrich’s criteria and 21 healthy controls. Participants were evaluated during their follicular phase and were asked to abstain from sexual activities 24 ho prior the examination. Assessment was performed by an assessor blinded to participant diagnosis, in the morning after a 10-min rest period in a supine lying position in a room with temperature set at 22 °C. Measurements of the peak systolic velocity (PSV), time-averaged maximum velocity (TAMX), end-diastolic velocity (EDV), pulsatility (PI) and resistance index (RI) were performed at rest considering the mean value of three consecutive waveforms. Results Women with PVD and healthy controls did not present any statistically different baseline characteristics. Participants with PVD presented higher values of Doppler-US PSV, TAMX, EDV and RI compared to controls ( p ≤ 0.05), which are suggestive of a decrease in blood flow. However, non-significant difference was found regarding PI values between the two groups ( p > 0.05). Conclusion Our findings revealed decreased peripheral tissue perfusion in women with PVD compared to healthy controls using color Doppler US, based on the alteration of four of the five assessed data of US parameters.
ISSN:0937-3462
1433-3023
DOI:10.1007/s00192-022-05147-z