Handbook of Pelvic Floor Ultrasound

Recent evolution brought ultrasound imaging widely adopted by pelvic floor specialists. For gynecologists, this step has been a natural evolution. In fact, pelvic floor medicine is the last field of gynecology in which ultrasound has reached a pivotal role in the diagnostic process. But when we consider the pelvic floor as a transversal field of medicine we must consider that ultrasound is the linking bridge between different specialties. In fact, ultrasound is a cohesive tool shared by gynecologists, urologists, colorectal surgeons, and radiologists. Most of them are confident with this technique and are familiar with the technology even though with different applications.
Most of the time ultrasound can be performed by the same specialist that collected the medical history and has performed the physical evaluation. This aspect allows ultrasound to express the best of itself since the clinician perfectly knows what he/she requires to obtain by the imaging. In this sense, ultrasound fills a gap in the steps of the diagnostic workup, melting physical examination, and imaging all in one, making them much more than complementary. In the same manner, ideally, the same clinician who fulfilled the diagnostic path may be the main character involved in the surgical process which aims to solve the specific pelvic floor dysfunction.
Nevertheless, pelvic floor ultrasound partially departs from the applications clinicians are used to for their specialty. As gynecologists in fact we recognize differences between ultrasound pelvic studies for uterine or adnexal masses and pelvic floor studies. The same is for other specialties. For this reason, clinicians involved in pelvic floor units need education in pelvic floor ultrasound in order to be skilled for specific applications. With this vision we tried our best to offer pelvic floor specialists a handbook with the basic ultrasound knowledge they need to own in order to complete a pelvic floor diagnostic step in current clinical practice, providing a rich iconography of normal and pathological imaging. The cut of the work is intentionally concise but complete with practical tips for a correct ultrasound evaluation of the pelvic floor. The handbook is suitable both as a first approach to pelvic floor ultrasound and also for expert practitioners who wish to improve their skills.