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Female perineal membrane: a study using pelvic floor semiserial sections from elderly nulliparous and multiparous women

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Abstract

To describe the architecture and topohistology of the female perineal structures, especially the perineal membrane (PM), we examined frontal sections (one side) and horizontal or transverse sections (another side) of 15 bisectioned pelvic floors. The PM, notably comprising elastic fibers, extended mediolaterally or transversely on the immediately inferior side of the rhabdosphincter area. More posteriorly, the elastic fibers more tilted along the long axis of the vagina and became lining the lateral vaginal wall as a fibrous skeleton. The compressor urethrae and urethrovaginal sphincter were embedded in and interdigitated with the PM. The elastic fiber architecture of the PM was similar to the rectovaginal septum. We hypothesize that the PM plays a role of a shock-absorber at the interface between the levator ani and distalmost vagina. A standard diagram of the female perineal structures is necessary to be revised.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Professor Aiji Ohtsuka and his assistant Mr. Hiroyuki Oosugi (Department of Anatomy, Okayama University School of Medicine) for their assistance with elastic fiber staining. We also thank Dr. Daisuke Suzuki (Department of Anatomy, Sapporo Medical University) for assistance with immunohistochemistry.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3, Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan

    Masao Kato, Akio Matsubara & Tsuguru Usui

  2. Division of Internal Medicine and Rehabilitation, Iwamizawa Kojin-kai Hospital, Iwamizawa, Japan

    Gen Murakami

  3. Department of Anatomy, Tokyo Dental University, Chiba, Japan

    Shin-ichi Abe & Yoshinobu Ide

  4. Department of Anatomy, Nippon Dental University School of Dentistry at Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Iwao Sato

Authors
  1. Masao Kato
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  2. Akio Matsubara
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  3. Gen Murakami
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  4. Shin-ichi Abe
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  5. Yoshinobu Ide
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  6. Iwao Sato
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  7. Tsuguru Usui
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Correspondence to Masao Kato.

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Kato, M., Matsubara, A., Murakami, G. et al. Female perineal membrane: a study using pelvic floor semiserial sections from elderly nulliparous and multiparous women. Int Urogynecol J 19, 1663–1670 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-008-0701-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-008-0701-0

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