A normal flow pattern in women does not exclude voiding pathology.
It is a widespread assumption that normal micturition behaviour is reflected in a normal flow pattern. This would also mean that a normal flow curve would correspond with normal voiding and would even permit to exclude voiding difficulties. In our study we investigated the value of a normal flow pattern in four different groups: stress incontinent women, women with bladder overactivity, healthy middle-aged volunteers and healthy students. These women voided with a bell-shaped flow curve on pressure flow in 50, 65, 57 and 50%, respectively. Women who strained to void, a major component of dysfunctional voiding, managed to void a bell-shaped flow curve in 46, 60, 70 and 100%, respectively. Our study demonstrates that a "normal" bell-shaped flow curve does not exclude voiding dysfunction in women.
Pauwels
Elisabeth
E
Department of Urology, University Hospital Antwerp, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antwerp, 10 Wilrijkstraat, 2650, Edegem, Belgium.
De Wachter
Stefan
S
Wyndaele
Jean-Jacques
JJ
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014554:Urination / Q000502:physiology*; D014563:Urodynamics / Q000502:physiology*