The Unstable Bladder

Mixed symptomatology

Mixed symptomatology, i.e. both stress and urge incontinence, is reported by patients, either of their own accord or in response to a questionnaire. Our understanding of motor urge incontinence, detrusor instability, stress incontinence and sensory urge incontinence is changing. Detrusor instability is now known to be a urodynamic observation of uncertain clinical significance. Symptoms reported by patients are not equivalent to a urodynamic diagnosis but the problem seems to be more in the urodynamics than in the symptoms. Evidence shows that sensory urge incontinence and motor urge incontinence are probably gradations of the same condition. The relationship between stress incontinence and an overactive bladder is complex. For example, neither detrusor instability nor urge incontinence appear to adversely influence the outcome of surgical treatment for stress incontinence; however, this treatment does not have a good success rate. At present, it is not clear whether this poor outcome reflects a lack of efficacy of the operations used, or their application to inappropriate patients.

Urine flow rates in male and female urodynamic patients compared with the Liverpool nomograms

The Liverpool male and female nomograms provide normal reference ranges for the maximum and average urine flow rates over a wide range of voided volumes. A known urine flow rate, in combination with the respective voided volume (and in men the age), can be converted into an equivalent centile ranking, using the equation for the relevant nomogram. Centile rankings allow the urine flow rates of specific male and female populations to be compared. The maximum and average urine flow rates of urodynamic patients (504 consecutive male and 168 consecutive female) were converted into centile rankings. These centile rankings were then compared with the respective urodynamic diagnoses. The median centile rankings for their maximum and average urine flow rates were 21 and 11 (male) respectively and 31 and 18 (female) (vs 50 for the normal populations). The low urine flow rates applied to all diagnostic groups, including those symptomatic men and women who were found to be urodynamically normal. Low urine flow rates may be one of a number of subtle manifestations of urological disease in these patients. Men with obstruction and women with voiding difficulties had the lowest urine flow rates. The 25th centile (men) and the 10th centile (women) appeared to be most appropriate lower limits of normality for both urine flow rates to identify those men more likely to be obstructed and those women at higher risk of voiding difficulties. Men and women with detrusor instability had the highest urine flow rates. Detrusor instability was present in 71% of men with centile rankings for the maximum urine flow rate over 50; 50% of women whose maximum urine flow rate centiles were over 90 had detrusor instability.

The value of bladder filling in the clinical detection of urine loss and selection of patients for urodynamic testing

Bladder filling was used to enhance the clinical detection of urine loss in 37 women who attended a general gynaecological outpatient clinic with lower urinary tract symptoms and incontinence. Videocystourethrography was performed subsequently in all women, and the clinical and fluoroscopic detection of urine loss compared. The two methods of detecting urine loss agreed in all but four women with very slight genuine stress urinary incontinence, two being detected by one but not by the other of the two tests. In only 5 of 25 patients was incontinence demonstrable clinically without bladder filling, and in only 13 of 25 was it demonstrable in the supine position. These proportions were 5 of 21 and 10 of 21, respectively, for those with genuine stress incontinence, with or without coexistent detrusor instability. Bladder filling provoked uncontrollable voiding in five women, two had detrusor instability on cystometry, and two had low peak urinary flow rates on uroflowmetry. The significance of these findings is discussed in the context of selecting patients for urodynamic testing.

Lower urinary tract disorders in the postmenopausal woman

Lower urinary tract disorders in the postmenopausal woman can be particularly disruptive to a patient's life style. The disorders of interstitial cystitis, urinary tract infection, urinary incontinence, and urethral syndrome are discussed in this chapter.