Clinical significance of video-urodynamic in female recurrent urinary tract infections

Urodynamic Risk Factors for Urinary Infection

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are frequently associated with lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD). Urodynamic investigation (UDI) is the gold standard for assessing LUTD, but its value in identifying UTI risk factors remains underexplored. Studies have shown high rates of storage and voiding dysfunction in patients with recurrent UTIs, suggesting a causal link between LUTD and UTIs. Specific UDI findings, such as low bladder capacity, high detrusor pressures, and detrusor overactivity, have been associated with greater UTI risk, especially in kidney transplant recipients and infants. However, the current evidence is limited by the lack of control groups and therapeutic interventions, making it difficult to draw definitive conclusions. Further well-designed studies are needed to determine if UDI-guided therapies can improve UTI management outcomes. PATIENT SUMMARY: Urinary infections are often linked to problems with the lower urinary tract. Tests that measure lower urinary tract function can help in identifying these issues. More research is needed to see if treating bladder problems can prevent urinary infections.

Comparison of the diagnostic yield of routine versus indicated flowmetry, ultrasound and cystoscopy in women with recurrent urinary tract infections

Introduction and hypothesis

To quantify and compare the outcomes of routine vs. urologist-requested diagnostic testing for recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTI).

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of patients with rUTI referred to a large non-academic teaching hospital between 2016 and 2018 (Hospital A) and a university hospital between 2014 and 2016 (Hospital B). Electronic medical records were reviewed for baseline and diagnostic data. Women underwent the following assessments routinely: urinalysis, voiding diary, flowmetry in Hospital A and urinalysis, voiding diary, flowmetry, ultrasound, abdominal x-ray and cystoscopy in Hospital B. All other diagnostics were performed by indication in each hospital.

Results

We included 295 women from Hospital A and 298 from Hospital B, among whom the mean age (57.6 years) and mean UTI frequency (5.6/year) were comparable, though more were postmenopausal in Hospital A. We identified abnormalities by flowmetry or post-void residual volumes in 134 patients (Hospital A: 79; Hospital B: 55), cystoscopy in 14 patients (Hospital A: 6; Hospital B: 8) and ultrasound in 42 patients (Hospital A: 16; Hospital B: 26), but these differences were not significant. Diagnostics altered treatment in 117 patients (e.g., pelvic floor muscle training, referral to another specialist, surgical intervention), mostly due to flowmetry and post-void residual volume measurement. The retrospective design and absence of follow-up data limit these results.

Conclusions

The routine use of cystoscopy and ultrasound in female patients with rUTIs should not be recommended as they yield few abnormalities and lead to additional costs.

Sacral neuromodulation for symptomatic chronic urinary retention in females: do age and comorbidities make a difference?

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate if age and medical comorbidities are associated with progression to implantation of sacral neuromodulation devices in women with symptomatic chronic urinary retention.

METHODS

This multisite retrospective cohort included women with symptomatic chronic urinary retention who had a trial phase of sacral neuromodulation. The primary outcome was progression to implantation. Post-implantation outcomes were assessed as stable response versus decreased efficacy. A sub-analysis of catheter-reliant (intermittent-self catheterization or indwelling) patients was performed. Age was analyzed by 10-year units (decades of age). Multivariate logistic regression determined odds ratios for outcomes of implantation and for post-implantation stable response.

RESULTS

Implantation occurred in 86% (243/284) women across six academic institutions. Most patients (160/243, 66%) were catheter reliant at the time of trial phase. Increased decade of age was associated with reduced implantation in all women [OR 0.54 (95% CI 0.42, 0.70)] and in the subgroup of catheter-reliant women [OR 0.52 (95% CI 0.37, 0.73)]. Post-implantation stable response occurred in 68% (193/243) of women at median follow-up of 2 years (range 0.3-15 years). Medical comorbidities present at the time of trials did not impact progression to implantation or post-implantation success.

CONCLUSIONS

Increasing decade of age is associated with reduced implantation in women with symptomatic chronic urinary retention. There is no age cutoff at which outcomes change. Post-implantation stable response was not associated with age or medical comorbidities.

Recurrent urinary tract infection in women and overactive bladder - Is there a relationship?

Overactive bladder (OAB) in women has similar symptomatology with other common urologic diseases such as recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI). Recent evidence showed that chronic low-grade bacterial bladder colonization might exacerbate OAB symptoms and could be the etiology of recurrent UTI. The high prevalence of lower urinary tract dysfunction is associated with OAB. Women with urgency urinary incontinence refractory to antimuscarinic therapy had more bacteria and a more diverse urinary microbiome. The bacterial reside in the superficial urothelial cells to form intracellular bacterial community and outbreak when the host innate immunity is low. Women with recurrent UTI are found to have highly prevalent voiding dysfunction and detrusor overactivity. These functional abnormalities will further damage the urothelial barrier integrity and create vulnerable to uropathogen invasion. The defective urinary microbiota is less common in women with recurrent UTI, suggesting that the normal flora in the urine might inhibit uropathogen growth and invasion. The defective urothelial barrier function, deficient basal proliferation, and deficient maturation might be owing to chronic suburothelial inflammation, resulting in activation of sensory nerves (causing OAB) and failure elimination of intracellular bacterial communities (causing recurrent UTI). Precision diagnosis and multidisciplinary treatment of the underlying pathophysiology of OAB and recurrent UTI is necessary.

Role of videourodynamic study in precision diagnosis and treatment for lower urinary tract dysfunction

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are complicated and cannot be used alone to diagnose lower urinary tract dysfunctions (LUTDs) and guide treatment. Patients with bladder outlet obstruction (BOO), impaired detrusor contractility, and hypersensitive bladder might present with voiding predominant symptoms, whereas patients with detrusor overactivity (DO), dysfunctional voiding, or BOO might also present with storage symptoms. To clearly identify the pathophysiology of LUTD, a comprehensive urodynamic study (UDS) including pressure flow and image during the storage and emptying phases, naming videourodynamic study (VUDS), is necessary. This study is especially mandatory in the diagnosis of (1) male LUTS refractory to medical treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia, (2) female voiding dysfunction and urinary retention, (3) diagnosis of overactive bladder syndrome refractory to first-line medication, (4) management of female stress urinary incontinence and postoperative LUTS, (5) diagnosis and management of neurogenic LUTD, (6) pediatric urinary incontinence and enuresis, (7) geriatric urinary incontinence, and (8) recurrent bacterial cystitis. Although VUDS should not be used as a screening test for any LUTS, it should be considered when the initial management cannot relieve LUTS, or when invasive surgical procedure is planning to undertake for patients with refractory LUTS. VUDS should be recommended as the second-line investigation when the initial diagnosis and treatment based on the symptoms alone or noninvasive tests fail to improve LUTS.

Do the definitions of the underactive bladder and detrusor underactivity help in managing patients: International Consultation on Incontinence Research Society (ICI-RS) Think Tank 2017?

AIMS

The Think Tank aimed to discuss the pitfalls and advantages of current definitions in terms of research and management of underactive bladder (UAB). UAB broadly defines a symptom complex of bladder emptying problems and does not indicate a specific pathology. Detrusor underactivity (DU) is a urodynamic diagnosis from pressure-flow studies. The correlation of UAB with DU remains to be precisely determined.

METHODS

The presentations and subsequent discussion, leading to research recommendations during the Think Tank of the International Consultation on Incontinence Research Society in Bristol, 2017, are summarized.

RESULTS

To develop more specific individualized management strategies, the Think Tank panel proposed (i) that, since defining a single type of index patient to represent all UAB will not fulfill all clinical research needs, several index patients should be defined by phenotyping of patients with UAB, including, children, young men and women, elderly male and female patients with co-existing DU and detrusor overactivity, and neurological patients with UAB; (ii) prospective longitudinal studies to assess the natural history of UAB, in the different target populations, based on different UAB phenotypes, should be initiated; (iii) DU should be precisely defined by urodynamic parameters; and (iv) work to develop validated specific questionnaires combined with non-invasive tests for screening, diagnosis and follow up, needs to be continued.

CONCLUSIONS

The precise relationship of UAB to DU remains to be defined. Phenotyping patients with UAB/DU, performing prospective trials of natural history, and developing symptom questionnaires and diagnostic investigations will improve our ability to identify and treat UAB/DU.

High incidence of lower urinary tract dysfunction in women with recurrent urinary tract infections

The aim of this study was to evaluate lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD) in women with recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs). One hundred consecutive female patients with recurrent UTIs who underwent videourodynamic study (VUDS) were included. Another 25 women free from recurrent UTIs served as controls. All the underlying diseases, urine analysis and culture results, VUDS findings, and treatment outcomes of voiding dysfunction were carefully reviewed and analyzed. The mean age of the recurrent UTIs patients was 64.0 ± 16.0 years. Storage and voiding dysfunctions were found in 90 (90%) patients, including bladder neck dysfunction in 19 (19%), detrusor hyperactivity with impaired contractility in 6 (6%), detrusor overactivity in 5 (5%), detrusor underactivity in 10 (10%), dysfunctional voiding in 25 (25%), hypersensitive bladder in 6 (6%), and poor relaxation of the pelvic floor muscle in 20 (20%). Only 10 (10%) patients had normal urodynamic tracings. Compared with the controls, the recurrent UTI patients had significantly smaller cystometric bladder capacity, lower maximum flow rate, smaller voided volume, higher detrusor pressure, and larger PVR volume. However, only 6 (11.3%) patients with recurrent UTIs were free from subsequent UTIs following individualized treatment for their voiding dysfunction. A high incidence of vide urodynamic LUTD was identified in women with recurrent UTIs. Despite receiving individualized treatments based on their VUDS findings, only a small portion of these patients were subsequently free from UTIs.