Effects of electrotherapy in treatment of neurogenic bladder in children with occult spinal dysraphism.
BACKGROUND
Neurogenic bladder can develop as a result of various degrees of neurogenic lesion in spina bifida. The degree of bladder dysfunction depends on the level and type of spina bifida. Due to results upon complete diagnostic protocols, treatment options are applied.


OBJECTIVE
Comparison of therapy results of patients with occult spinal dysraphism with neurogenic bladder that underwent medicamentous therapy and medicamentous with electrotherapy treatment.


METHODS
We had 49 patients with neurogenic bladder that were treated at the University Children's Hospital in Belgrade in the period 2003-2008. The first group of children received medicamentous therapy and the second group received medicamentous therapy with transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation. In both groups we evaluated 4 symptoms: daily enuresis, enuresis nocturna, urgency and frequency and 4 urodynamic parameters: lower bladder capacity, unstable contractions and residual urine and detrusor sphincter dyssynergia. Follow-up urodynamic evaluation was done after 3, 6 and 12 months respectively.


RESULTS
Our findings pointed out a high statistical significance of improvement in all evaluated urodynamic parameters of neurogenic bladder (predominantly in bladder capacity) in the group of children with combined therapy as well in resolution of symptoms (predominantly enuresis nocturna, urgency and frequency).


CONCLUSIONS
Combined therapy is more efficient in treatment of children with neurogenic bladder. Electrotherapy is non-invasive, easily applicable and has had a significant place in treatment of children with dysfunctional voiding.
Cirović
Dragana
D
University Children's Hospital, Belgrade, Serbia.
Petronić
Ivana
I
Nikolić
Dejan
D
Brdar
Radivoj
R
Pavićević
Polina
P
Knezević
Tatjana
T
D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016135:Spinal Dysraphism / Q000150:complications*; D004561:Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation; D001750:Urinary Bladder, Neurogenic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*