title: A multi-center study of pediatric uroflowmetry data using patterning software.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We created software for patterning uroflowmetry (UFM) curves, and validated its utility.
  
  
  METHODS
  The software patterns a given UFM curve upon four parameters: sex, voided volume, maximal flow rate, and amplitude of fluctuation. Using the software, 6 urologists from 4 institutes assessed 30 test curves. Further, 329 UFM curves obtained from children presenting to 3 institutes for daytime and/or nighttime wetting were assessed. Clinical presentation was divided into 3 groups: group A, daytime incontinence; group B, non-monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis without daytime wetting; and group C, monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using the software, inter-rater agreement ranged from 0.85 to 1.00 (mean, 0.93 ± 0.04). It could pattern 310 out of 329 clinical curves. In each institute, the tower pattern was prevalent according to severity of daytime symptoms, although not significantly. The merged data showed that the percent tower pattern significantly correlated with presence of daytime symptoms (groups A, B, and C, 29.7%, 27.0%, and 16.3%, respectively; p < 0.05). No correlation with daytime symptoms was noted for fluctuated (staccato and interrupted) and plateau patterns.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The software creates a common platform for evaluating pediatric UFM, enabling extraction of common and biased features of different cohorts, and their integration into one single cohort.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Kyoto University, Japan. aqui@hyo-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kanematsu
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Kazuyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Johnin
authors.forename: Shina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imamura
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshimura
authors.forename: Yoshihide
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Higuchi
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Yusaku
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakai
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ogawa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D016208:Databases, Factual; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003950:Diagnostic Techniques, Urological / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D053207:Diurnal Enuresis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D053206:Nocturnal Enuresis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012985:Software Design; D014563:Urodynamics / Q000502:physiology*