Bladder volume determination: two-dimensional versus three-dimensional transvaginal ultrasound

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Diagnostic Ultrasound
• Urology

Background:

• Accurate bladder volume measurement is crucial for various clinical applications.
• Conventional two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound is widely used but may have limitations in volumetric accuracy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the in vivo accuracy of three-dimensional (3D) transvaginal ultrasound with 2D transvaginal ultrasound for measuring urinary bladder volume.

Main Methods:

• Forty female inpatients with gynecologic diseases underwent transvaginal 2D ultrasound, followed by transvaginal 3D ultrasound.
• Actual bladder volume was determined by catheterization post-ultrasound.
• Correlation and error measurements were calculated for both 2D and 3D ultrasound estimations.

Main Results:

• Bladder volumes ranged from 30 mL to 590 mL.
• 2D ultrasound showed a mean error of 15.7% (correlation coefficient: 0.90).
• 3D ultrasound demonstrated a mean error of -8.48% (correlation coefficient: 0.97).

Conclusions:

• 3D ultrasound tended to underestimate bladder volume, whereas 2D ultrasound tended to overestimate it.
• Both 2D and 3D ultrasound are reliable noninvasive methods for predicting actual bladder volume.
• The higher correlation coefficient for 3D ultrasound suggests potentially greater accuracy.