Circumstances of leakage related to low urethral closure pressure.
OBJECTIVE
We determined whether urinary leakage in some circumstances is associated with intrinsic sphincter deficiency, defined by a low maximum urethral closure pressure of 30 cm H(2)O or less, in women presenting for urinary incontinence.


METHODS
We retrospective analyzed the records of 100 consecutive women who underwent complete urodynamic evaluations for complaints of urinary leakage.


RESULTS
Logistic regression adjusted for age showed that leakage while running or during physical exertion, leakage while walking and leakage with no obvious reason were associated with intrinsic sphincter deficiency, while leakage upon coughing or sneezing was not.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that different mechanisms may govern incontinence during prolonged vs brief stress. Low maximum urethral closure pressure may be a sign of abnormal sphincter fatigability.
Fritel
Xavier
X
Service de Gynécologie et Obstétrique, Hôpital Rothschild Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France. fritel.xavier@orange.fr
Fauconnier
Arnaud
A
Pigné
Alain
A
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011312:Pressure; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014521:Urethra / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000209:etiology*