Evaluating incontinence in women

Urinary incontinence in women has a multitude of presentations and can be a pure and simple entity or a complicated combination of overlying disorders. The diagnosis and work-up of the incontinent woman should proceed from the classic tools of medical treatment, as well as the history and physical exam, and should incorporate modern techniques of dynamic imaging. It is vital to remember that it is often not until a simple treatment has failed that we appreciate a patient's complex problem, and, for this reason, we advocate appropriate use of the available technologies in order to separate more carefully the straightforward disorder from the intricate and convoluted problems. A thorough investigation of the multiple dimensions of urinary incontinence in the female patient, using subjective and objective testing, is the key to diagnostic and clinical success.