Urethral Pressure Variation: A neglected contributing factor in patients with overactive bladder syndrome?
OBJECTIVE
To study urethral pressure variations during the whole filling phase among different groups of patients.


METHODS
We investigated 79 consecutive patients from January 2011 to June 2012. All patients were recruited within our routine practice in our continence clinic and were evaluated with urodynamic exam according to the standards of the International Continence Society (ICS) with an additional continuous measurement of the urethral pressure profile (cUPP) that was done in a supine position. Patients with genital prolapse >grade I, as well as patients with impaired cognitive function or neurogenic disorders were excluded. Bacteriuria at the time of investigation was excluded by urine analysis. Urethral pressure changes higher than 15cmH2O were considered as 'urethral instability'.


RESULTS
From 79 investigated patients, 29 were clinically diagnosed with OAB syndrome, 19 with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and 31 with mixed (OAB and SUI) incontinence. The prevalence of 'urethral instability' as defined in this study was 54.4% (43/79). The mean Δp in patients with OAB (36.5cmH2O) was significantly higher (p<0.05) than in groups with pure stress (14.9cmH2O) and mixed urinary incontinence (19.3cmH2O).


CONCLUSIONS
Etiology of 'urethral instability' is unknown, but high prevalence among patients with overactive bladder syndrome, especially concomitant with detrusor activity can raise a fair question and direct further diagnostic as well as treatment efforts.
Departament of Neuro-urology, University Hospital Friederich Wilhelms, University Bonn, Germany.
Kirschner-Hermanns
KH
Ruth
Departament of Neuro-urology, University Hospital Friederich Wilhelms, University Bonn, Germany.
Anding
A
Ralf
Department of Urology, The Federal State Institute of Public Health, The Nikiforov Russian Center of Emergency and Radiation Medicine, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation.
Gadzhiev
G
Nariman
Laborie, Mississauga, ON, Canada.
Goping
G
Ing
Laborie, Mississauga, ON, Canada.
Campbell
C
Adele
Departament of Neuro-urology, University Hospital Friederich Wilhelms, University Bonn, Germany.
Huppertz
H
Nadine
D000328:Adult; D019540:Area Under Curve; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011312:Pressure; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014521:Urethra / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000503:physiopathology; D053201:Urinary Bladder, Overactive / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000503:physiopathology; D014563:Urodynamics
Urethra; Urinary Bladder, Overactive; Urodynamics