Differential diagnosis of detrusor instability and stress-incontinence by patient history: the Gaudenz-Incontinence-Questionnaire revisited.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the validity of the Gaudenz-Incontinence-Questionnaire in the differential diagnosis of genuine stress-incontinence and detrusor instability.


METHODS
Diagnoses based on questionnaire-results were compared to those following complete urogynecologic assessment including urodynamics in 1938 patients with lower urinary tract symptoms.


RESULTS
Sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of stress-incontinence were 0.559 and 0.447, respectively, for detrusor instability 0.615 and 0.563, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The low sensitivity and specificity of the test do not justify its use as a diagnostic tool in patients with urinary incontinence. These results show that the scores may be misleading in a large proportion of patients and should not therefore be the only determinant of diagnosis, nor should strategies be based on history alone.
Haeusler
G
G
Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Medical School, University of Vienna, Austria.
Hanzal
E
E
Joura
E
E
Sam
C
C
Koelbl
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001317:Austria; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009132:Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000503:physiopathology; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D014563:Urodynamics