Quantitative EMG of external urethral sphincter in neurologically healthy men with prostate pathology.
BACKGROUND
There are no data on quantitative electromyography (EMG) of the external urethral sphincter (EUS) in men. The aim of this study was to obtain reference data from a group of neurologically healthy continent men with prostate pathology using a standardized technique.


METHODS
Sixty-six subjects without neurological disorders were included. Motor unit potential (MUP) and interference pattern (IP) analysis were performed using multi-MUP and turns/amplitude techniques, respectively.


RESULTS
Of 66 patients, 51 (mean age, 65.17; SD, 6.70) had localized prostate cancer (PCa), and 15 (mean age 61.67, SD 6.25) had benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). Descriptive MUP parameters and IP-clouds were obtained, respectively in the BPH and PCa groups. No group differences were found.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides quantitative EMG measures of EUS functionality in continent men with prostate pathology. The data could be used as reference values for patients undergoing prostate surgery to identify postoperative changes in EUS function possibly influencing continence.
Clinical Neurophysiology Unit, Department of Neurology, San Raffaele Hospital, Via Olgettina, 60, 20132, Milano, Italy.
Francesca
F
Bianchi
Marco
M
Cursi
Matteo
M
Ferrari
Andrea
A
Salonia
Stefano
S
Amadio
Giancarlo
G
Comi
Hansjörg
H
Danuser
Ubaldo
U
Del Carro
Agostino
A
Mattei
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004576:Electromyography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D014521:Urethra / Q000294:innervation* / Q000503:physiopathology*
external urethral sphincter; motor unit potentials; prostatectomy; quantitative EMG; urinary incontinence