Exploration of male urethral sphincter complex using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-based fiber-tracking

Urinary incontinence is a major clinical problem arising primarily from age-related degenerative changes to the sphincter muscles. However, the precise anatomy of the normal male sphincter muscles has yet to be established. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) may offer a unique insight into muscle microstructure and fiber architecture.

To explore the anatomy of the urethral sphincter muscles pertinent to urinary continence function using DT-MRI.

Prospective cohort study.

Eleven normal male subjects (mean age: 25.4 years); two subjects were scanned in three separate sessions to assess reproducibility.

3T; using a diffusion-weighted spin echo planar sequence.

DT parameters including fractional anisotropy (FA), primary (λ₁ ), secondary (λ₂ ), and tertiary (λ₃ ) eigenvalues, Apparent diffusion coefficient and radial diffusivity were analyzed statistically, while tracked muscle fibers were assessed visually.

Regional differences (sphincters and longitudinal muscle of the urethra) in the DTI indices were assessed by one-way analysis of variance. A Tukey post-hoc test was used to identify significant differences between muscle regions.

Two sphincter muscles, one proximal near the base of the bladder, corresponding to the lisso-sphincter, and the other distal to the end of the prostate corresponding to the rhabdo-sphincter, surrounding a central urethral muscle fiber bundle, were clearly identified. FA was higher and λ₃ lower in the proximal sphincter muscle compared to the central urethral muscle and the distal sphincter (P < 0.05). The average coefficient of variation ranged from 5-12% for the DTI indices.

Since DTI values are known to reflect underlying tissue microarchitecture, significant differences in DTI indices identified here between the muscles of the urethral complex may potentially arise from differences in tissue microarchitecture that may in turn be related to the specific function of the sphincter and other muscles.

1 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018;48:1002-1011.