The impact of antegrade continence enemas on bladder function in patients with neurogenic bladder and bowel

INTRODUCTION

In neurologically intact children with constipation and lower urinary tract symptoms, treatment of constipation frequently results in improved or resolved lower urinary tract symptoms. The impact of treatment of constipation on bladder function in children with a neurogenic bowel and bladder is not well studied. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of antegrade continence enemas (ACE) via Chait tube on urodynamic study (UDS) parameters and urinary continence in patients with neurogenic bowel and bladder (NGB). We hypothesized that following ACE some patients would demonstrate improved UDS parameters and improved urinary continence.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A review of patients with NGB who underwent a cecostomy was performed. Inclusion criteria required UDS within 12 months before and after Chait tube placement and no change in clean intermittent catheterization or anticholinergic medications. UDS parameters assessed included bladder capacity, bladder compliance, and bladder stability. In addition, the frequency of antegrade continence enemas and encopresis were reviewed as was the frequency of UTIs before and after the surgery.

RESULTS

8 children met inclusion criteria, including 5 girls and 3 boys, with a mean (range) age of 8.5 years (5-13). All children were on clean intermittent catheterization and 7 were on anticholinergic medications. The patients demonstrated a significant improvement in constipation and encopresis (p < 0.05). All but 1 patient had resolution of encopresis, and 6 of 7 patients who had constipation before ACE management had a resolution of constipation. 2 patients (25%) developed urinary continence (i.e., dry between CIC), and 2 others had improvement in continence. 3, 2, and 2 patients had urodynamic improvement in bladder capacity, compliance, or stability, respectively. However, no significant improvement in urinary incontinence or UDS parameters was demonstrated for the group overall.

DISCUSSION

Our data demonstrate that some children with neurogenic bowel and bladder will have improvement in continence and UDS parameters following the initiation of ACE. Despite significant improvement in constipation and encopresis, the frequency of bladder improvement in this population appears less than that reported in neurologically intact children following treatment of constipation. Confirmatory studies with a larger number of children are needed. However, since constipation appears to negatively impact bladder function in some children with neurogenic bowel and bladder, it is reasonable to try to eliminate significant constipation in these patients before increasing pharmaceutical management of their neurogenic bladder.

Prevalence of psychosomatic symptoms in children

Somatic symptoms reflecting psychic components were recorded in connection with the Finnish National Epidemiological Study of Psychiatric Disorders. In the present work, according to the parents' concerns, frequent headache was found in 2.8%, recurrent abdominal pain in 2.4%, asthma in 0.7%, enuresis in 1.5% and soiling in 0.3% of the children. Children complaining frequently of different pains were reported in 1.0% by the teachers. Distribution by sex, population density areas and family structure are also given.

[The aggressive child (author's transl)]

In children a "normal" aggressiveness should be distinguished from "hostile" and "inhibited" aggression; the latter usually become apparent as heteroaggressive or autoaggressive behaviour. Autoaggression is more common with younger children. Different hypotheses about the origin of aggressiveness are discussed. In the younger child nail biting, trichotillomania, rocking, an intensified phase of contrariness and enkopresis may have components of aggressiveness. In older children and adolescents dissocial forms of development, drug taking, attempted suicid, and anorexia nervosa may be parts of aggressive behaviour. Minimal brain dysfunction, autism, and postencephalitic syndromes predominate amongst organic alterations of the brain as causes for aggressive behaviour. Particularly the Lesch-Nyhan-syndrome, but equally the Cornelia de Lange-syndrome show autoaggressive tendencies.

Anorectal myomectomy in the treatment of short segment Hirschsprung's disease

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[ENCOPRESIS IN A PSYCHIATRIC CONSULTATION]

A series of ten cases of encopresis, seen in psychiatric consultation over a period of two years, is reviewed from dynamic and technical aspects. These children were found to react by regression to a traumatic separation from their mothers, over a background of maternal deprivation. A consultation approach, rather than the usual intensive psychotherapy of child and parents, was used in most of these cases, for lack of therapeutic facilities and location of family. The results have been evaluated and were found to be surprisingly better than expected. It is suggested that such an approach (psychiatric interview, social history, and interpretation to the family of specific recommendations) should be used more often before psychotherapy is attempted, thus trying to use better the emotional resources of the family. Some organic factors of this condition are discussed, as well as the role of the paediatrician in the prevention of the illness at critical stages of the child's life: namely, toilet training and birth of a sibling. The timing of the hospitalization of the child is important, and the author suggests it should not occur before the age of four. Close collaboration of the paediatrician and the child psychiatrist is most essential in such cases.