Urethral tissue characterization using multiparametric ultrasound imaging

A decrease in urethral closure pressure is one of the primary causes of stress urinary incontinence in women. Atrophy of the urethral muscles is a primary factor in the 15 % age-related decline in urethral closure pressure per decade. Incontinence not only affects the well-being of women but is also a leading cause of nursing home admission. The objective of this research was to develop a noninvasive test to assess urethral tissue microenvironmental changes using multiparametric ultrasound (mpUS) imaging technique. Transperineal B-scan ultrasound (US) data were captured using clinical scanners equipped with curvilinear or linear transducers. Imaging was performed on volunteers from our institution medical center (n = 15, 22 to 76 y.o.) during Valsalva maneuvers. After expert delineation of the region of interest in each frame, the central axis of the urethra was automatically defined to determine the angle between the urethra and the US beam for further analysis. By integrating angle-dependent backscatter with radiomic texture feature analysis, a mpUS technique was developed to identify biomarkers that reflect subtle microstructural changes expected within the urethral tissue. The process was repeated when the urethra and US beam were at a fixed angle. Texture selection was conducted for both angle-dependent and angle-independent results to remove redundancies. Ultimately, a distinct biomarker was derived using a random forest regression model to compute the urethra score based on features selected from both processes. Angle-dependent backscatter analysis shows that the calculated slope of US mean image intensity decreased by 0.89 (±0.31) % annually, consistent with the expected atrophic disorganization of urethral tissue structure and the associated reduction in urethral closure pressure with age. Additionally, textural analysis performed at a specific angle (i.e., 40 degrees) revealed changes in gray level nonuniformity, skewness, and correlation by 0.08 (±0.04) %, −2.16 (±1.14) %, and −0.32 (±0.35) % per year, respectively. The urethra score was ultimately determined by combining data selected from both angle-dependent and angle-independent analysis strategies using a random forest regression model with age, yielding an R² value of 0.96 and a p-value less than 0.001. The proposed mpUS tissue characterization technique not only holds promise for guiding future urethral tissue characterization studies without the need for tissue biopsies or invasive functional testing but also aims to minimize observer-induced variability. By leveraging mpUS imaging strategies that account for angle dependence, it provides more accurate assessments. Notably, the urethra score, calculated from US images that reflect tissue microstructural changes, serves as a potential biomarker providing clinicians with deeper insight into urethral tissue function and may aid in diagnosing and managing related conditions while helping to determine the causes of incontinence.