The urethral syndrome

Overactive bladder in women: does low-count bacteriuria matter? A review

Since the description of the overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome, which excludes infection, the precise definition of significant bacteriuria in these women is critical. The traditional definition of 'significant' bacteriuria is >10(5) colony-forming units/ml which was described 50 years ago by a renal physician whose primary interest was the prevention of pyelonephritis. Subsequent studies have shown this to be an insensitive threshold in women with acute lower urinary tract symptoms. Bacterial counts between 10(2) and 10(5) CFU/ml ('low-count bacteriuria') are now considered important in women with acute dysuria and warrant treatment. However, these findings have been slow to translate into routine clinical practice. In addition, the role of low-count bacteriuria in women with OAB symptoms (frequency/urgency/nocturia) without dysuria is poorly studied. One recent study has shown low-count bacteriuria to be more prevalent among women with severe OAB than bacteriuria >10(5) CFU/ml. We present an outline of the history of this issue and summarise current microbiological and clinical concepts.

The effect of urethral calibration on female primary bladder outlet obstruction

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS

While primary bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) in women has become an increasingly recognized entity over the past few years, the optimal management for such condition is yet to be defined. We assessed the effect of urethral calibration in the treatment of female BOO.

METHODS

A retrospective review of female patients undergoing urethral calibration with urethral dilator for BOO from 2000 to 2009 was performed. BOO was defined as a maximum flow rate (Qmax) of less than 15 ml/s together with a detrusor pressure at maximum flow rate (PdetQmax) of more than 20 cmH(2)O in urodynamic studies in the absence of neurological disorders or mechanical causes. Pre-calibration and post-calibration urodynamic studies were compared.

RESULTS

Twenty women were diagnosed of BOO on urodynamic criteria (mean age 56 ± 14 years). Sixty percent of the patients had obstructive symptoms, while 50% of them had irritative symptoms. Reassessment urodynamic studies were performed 6 months after urethral calibration. Although there was no significant change in Qmax and post-void residual urine after urethral calibration (9.6 ± 2.8 vs 9.7 ± 4.0 ml/s, p = 0.869 and 246 ± 196 vs 263 ± 198 ml, p = 0.753, respectively), PdetQmax significantly improved (72.2 ± 39 vs 50.2 ± 30.5 cmH(2)O, p = 0.013). Only one patient developed urinary tract infection after the procedure. No complication of incontinence had been observed. Among the 20 patients, 13 patients (65%) had a second urethral calibration after the reassessment urodynamic study for persistent symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Female patients with bladder outlet obstruction showed improvement in the urodynamic parameters after urethral calibration. However, its durability is not certain yet. Future studies concerning clinical symptoms correlation with urodynamic parameters would help further delineate the role of urethral calibration in the management of bladder outlet obstruction in women.

Terms used to describe urinary tract infections--the importance of conceptual clarification

Inaccuracies in medical language are detrimental to communication and statistics in medicine, and thereby to clinical practice, medical science and public health. The purpose of this article is to explore inconsistencies in the use of some medical terms: urinary tract infection, bacteriuria and urethral syndrome. The investigated literature was collected from medical dictionaries, textbooks, and articles indexed in Medline(R). We found various practices regarding how the medical terms should be defined, and had great difficulty in interpreting the status of the statements under the heading of 'definition'. The lesson to be learned, besides a reminder of the importance of clearly defined medical concepts, is that it must be explicitly stated whether what is presented as a definition is to be considered as defining criterion, as recognising criterion or as characteristic of the disease entity.

Ritenzione urinaria acuta in giovani donne con sindrome uretrale. Protocollo diagnostico e terapeutico

The Urethral Syndrome is defined as lower urinary symptoms in women in the absence of bladder bacteriuria. Symptoms include straining to void, urgency frequency, hesitation, incontinence, retention and subpubic pain. In females affected by urethral syndrome some authors have found histological degeneration and urodynamic alterations, such as significantly higher than normal maximum urethral closure pressure, low urinary flow rates. The authors studied 5 women with urethral syndrome, and acute or chronic urinary retention. A personal therapeutic approach is presented.