An MRI apparatus includes a local endovaginal probe (30) for receiving
magnetic resonance in a study of the endopelvic fascia surrounding the
female urethra. The probe (30) includes a shaft portion (62) an insert
portion (60), the insert portion to be inserted into the vaginal cavity of
a female subject. The insert portion (60), in order to have maximum
efficiency in imaging the endopelvic fascia, is designed to specific
dimensions to achieve the optimum balance between image quality and
patient comfort. In an imaging sequence, a main magnet assembly (12)
produces a main magnetic field through an imaging region (14). A
whole-body RF coil (26) excites and manipulates magnetic resonance in the
vicinity of the vaginal cavity. The probe (30) detects the magnetic
resonance, which is received and demodulated. The received magnetic
resonance is then reconstructed into an image representation of the tissue
surrounding the vaginal cavity of the subject.
