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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffDiagnosis of a cystocele may involve:
- A pelvic exam. You may be examined while lying down and while standing up. During the exam, your doctor looks for a tissue bulge into your vagina that indicates pelvic organ prolapse. You'll likely be asked to bear down as if during a bowel movement to see how much that affects the degree of prolapse. To check the strength of your pelvic floor muscles, you'll be asked to contract them, as if you're trying to stop the stream of urine.
- Filling out a questionnaire. You may fill out a form that helps your doctor assess the degree of your prolapse and how much it affects your quality of life. Information gathered also helps guide treatment decisions.
- Bladder and urine tests. If you have significant prolapse, you might be tested to see how well and completely your bladder empties. Your doctor might also run a test on a urine sample to look for signs of a bladder infection, if it seems that you're retaining more urine in your bladder than is normal after urinating.
References
- McPhee SJ, et al. Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2012. 51st ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=9026. Accessed Feb. 14, 2012.
- Abed M, et al. Urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse: Diagnosis and treatment for the primary care physician. Medical Clinics of North America. 2008;92:1273.
- Mahajan ST. Anterior vaginal wall support abnormalities: Evaluation and treatment. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Feb. 13, 2012.
- Urinary incontinence in women. National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/uiwomen/. Accessed Feb. 13, 2012.
- Hagen S, et al. Conservative prevention and management of pelvic organ prolapse in women. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. http://www.thecochranelibrary.com/view/0/index.html. Accessed Feb. 14, 2012.
- Leu PB, et al. Cystocele repair with interpositional grafting. Urologic Clinics of North America. 2011;38:47.
- Bladder prolapse (cystocele). American Urological Association Foundation. http://www.urologyhealth.org/urology/index.cfm?article=118. Accessed Feb. 28, 2012.
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