CHANGES IN BRAIN ACTIVITY FOLLOWING SACRAL NEUROMODULATION FOR URINARY RETENTION

PURPOSE

Sacral nerve stimulation (neuromodulation) can restore bladder sensation and the ability to void in women with urinary retention due to sphincter overactivity (Fowler's syndrome). Modulation of central afferent activity is considered critical to this therapeutic effect but the neural mechanisms are poorly understood. Therefore, we undertook a functional brain imaging study to determine how neuromodulation acts on brain centers involved in the representation and control of bladder function.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Eight patients with Fowler's syndrome and 8 healthy controls underwent brain imaging with positron emission tomography to identify regions of brain activity relating to the perception of bladder fullness and their modulation by sacral nerve stimulation.

RESULTS

In healthy controls bladder fullness enhanced activity in brainstem (midbrain) and limbic cortical regions. Women with urinary retention showed no significant brainstem activity but did show enhanced limbic cortical activity when the bladder was full in the absence of neuromodulation. Neuromodulation restored a normal pattern of midbrain activity and decreased cortical activity in this group.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study provides novel neuroimaging evidence for the existence of abnormal interaction between brainstem and cortical centers in women with urinary retention. Furthermore, we have been able to show evidence that the therapeutic effect of sacral neuromodulation is achieved through restoration of activity associated with brainstem autoregulation and attenuation of cingulate activity.

Can ultrasound replace ambulatory urodynamics when investigating women with irritative urinary symptoms?

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether transvaginal ultrasound measurement of bladder wall thickness could replace ambulatory urodynamics when investigating women with lower urinary tract dysfunction not explained by conventional laboratory urodynamic studies.

DESIGN

A blinded prospective study.

SETTING

Tertiary referral unit in a London teaching hospital.

POPULATION

One hundred and twenty-eight women referred for ambulatory urodynamics with equivocal laboratory urodynamic findings or whose symptoms were not explained by the laboratory urodynamic findings.

METHODS

Transvaginal ultrasound assessment of bladder wall thickness was performed in three planes with an empty bladder prior to ambulatory urodynamics. Mean bladder wall thickness was calculated and the results analysed with respect to the ambulatory urodynamic diagnosis.

MAIN OUTCOME METHODS

Mean bladder wall thickness in women with a normal ambulatory study or a diagnosis of detrusor instability, genuine stress incontinence (GSI) or mixed incontinence.

RESULTS

Using a one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) bladder wall thickness was found to be significantly different in all diagnostic groups and this reached significance (P = 0.0001). There was no overlap in the 95% confidence intervals representing a diagnosis of detrusor instability or genuine stress incontinence.

CONCLUSIONS

Transvaginal ultrasound assessment of mean bladder wall thickness is a sensitive screening tool, which can detect detrusor instability in those women with equivocal laboratory urodynamics. In women who have no evidence of GSI on laboratory studies, a cutoff of 6.0mm is highly suggestive of detrusor instability. However, in those women with GSI then ambulatory studies probably remain the investigation of choice.

Urinary retention in the post-partum period. The relationship between obstetric factors and the post-partum post-void residual bladder volume

OBJECTIVE

The three objectives of this study are: to investigate the incidence of post-partum urinary retention after vaginal delivery, to investigate the relationship between various obstetric parameters and the post-partum post-void residual bladder volume and to study the natural progression of the post-void residual bladder volume in patients with covert post-partum urinary retention.

METHODS

Women who had a vaginal delivery (n = 691) in a teaching hospital during a 2-month period were studied. They were classified into three groups: normal patients, those with overt urinary retention, and covert urinary retention. Their day 1 post-partum post-void residual bladder volume were recorded and analyzed with respect to the obstetric parameters. Patients with covert retention were followed up daily with ultrasound to monitor their post-void residual volume.

RESULTS

The incidences of overt and covert retention in our unit were 4.9% and 9.7%, respectively. The overall incidence of post-partum urinary retention after vaginal delivery was 14.6%. The duration of the first and second stages of labor were significantly associated with the post-partum post-void residual bladder volume. In all patients with covert retention, their post-void residual volume returned to normal within 4 days.

CONCLUSION

Post-partum urinary retention is a common phenomenon that may be related to the process of parturition. Covert retention is a self-limiting phenomenon and specific treatment is unnecessary.

Prevalence of postoperative bladder distension and urinary retention detected by ultrasound measurement

BACKGROUND

Postoperative bladder distension and urinary retention are commonly underestimated. Ultrasound enables accurate measurement of bladder volume and thus makes it possible to determine the prevalence of postoperative bladder distension.

METHODS

Using ultrasound, we measured the volume of the bladder contents at the time of discharge from the recovery room in 177 adult patients who had undergone thoracic, vascular, abdominal, orthopaedic or ENT surgery.

RESULTS

Forty-four per cent of the patients had a bladder volume >500 ml and 54% of the 44%, who had no symptoms of bladder distension, were unable to void spontaneously within 30 min. The risk factors for urinary retention were age >60 yr (odds ratio (OR) 2.11, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-4.38), spinal anaesthesia (OR 3.97, 95% CI 1.32-11.89) and duration of surgery >120 min (OR 3.03, 95% CI 1.39-6.61).

CONCLUSION

Before discharge from the recovery room it seems worthwhile to systematically check the bladder volume with a portable ultrasound device in patients with risk factors.

Effects of bladder volume on transabdominal ultrasound measurements of intravesical prostatic protrusion and volume

BACKGROUND

A filled bladder acts as an acoustic window for transabdominal ultrasound measurements of intravesical prostatic protrusion and volume. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of bladder volume on transabdominal ultrasound measurements of these parameters.

METHODS

Twenty-two patients undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) were studied. Under general anesthesia just before TURP, a transrectal ultrasound measurement of prostate volume was obtained. The bladder was then filled in a stepwise manner with 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 mL. At each volume, the intravesical prostatic protrusion and prostatic volume were measured transabdominally using ultrasound.

RESULTS

There was an obvious trend of decreasing mean transabdominal intravesical prostatic protrusions with increasing bladder volume. The mean transabdominal intravesical prostatic protrusion at bladder volumes 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 mL was 9.1, 8.8, 7.4, 5.8 and 4.6 mm, respectively. The bladder volume at which maximum prostatic protrusion occurred was between 100 and 200 mL. The mean transabdominal prostate volume at the five increasing bladder volumes was 50.6, 48.7, 49.2, 47.9 and 41.4 mL, and these were correlated to transrectal prostate volume, particularly when the bladder volume was less than 400 mL.

CONCLUSIONS

Transabdominal ultrasound measurement of prostatic protrusion is dependent on bladder volume. Transabdominal ultrasound measurement of prostatic volume correlates well with the transrectal measurement of the same parameter when the bladder volume is less than 400 mL.

Detecting postoperative urinary retention with an ultrasound scanner

BACKGROUND

Retention of urine is a common postoperative problem associated with risk of overdistention and permanent detrusor damage. Prevention of urinary retention by insertion of indwelling catheter may increase the risk of urinary infection. We have performed a reliability test of an ultrasound scanner, implemented in the postoperative monitoring equipment.

METHODS

Patients were monitored after different types of surgery under spinal anesthesia with an ultrasound scanner in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU).

PATIENTS

Patients who according to current guidelines required a urinary bladder catheter, were scanned before a catheter was inserted and urine volume was measured. These two urine volumes were compared and analyzed for agreement.

RESULTS

Nineteen female and 17 male patients were included. The mean difference between ultrasound estimates and catheter urine volume measurements was - 21.5 mL, and limits of agreement, calculated as a 95% confidence interval, were - 147 and + 104 mL. This means that the urine volume estimated by ultrasound was on average 21.5 mL smaller than the urine volume when the bladder was emptied.

CONCLUSION

This study confirms a good agreement between the ultrasound scanner estimates of urinary bladder volume and urine volume measured after emptying the bladder. Nurses in the PACU could operate the ultrasound scanner after a brief instruction and training period. Considering the potentially serious long-term consequences of undiagnosed postoperative urinary retention, introducing this equipment for routine monitoring of urinary bladder volume should be considered.

Intravesical Prostatic Protrusion Predicts the Outcome of a Trial Without Catheter Following Acute Urine Retention

PURPOSE

We prospectively evaluated a simple, noninvasive method to predict the outcome of a voiding trial following acute urine retention (ARU) based on intravesical prostatic protrusion (IPP) using transabdominal ultrasound.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Males older than 50 years presenting with an initial episode of ARU were included in the study. Patients with prostatic cancer, urinary tract infection, bilateral hydronephrosis or neurological disease were excluded. The duration of catheterization, residual urine volume, serum prostate specific antigen and prostate volume were recorded. The patient bladder was filled with 200 ml normal saline via a catheter in situ. IPP was measured in the mid sagittal section using transabdominal ultrasound. The degree of protrusion was classified as grades 1--5 mm or less, 2--greater than 5 to 10 mm and 3--greater than 10 mm. Uroflowmetry and post-void residual urine were recorded after catheter removal. The voiding trial was judged to be unsuccessful if the patient failed to reestablish satisfactory micturition, with post-void residual urine greater than 100 ml and maximum urine flow less than 10 ml per second.

RESULTS

A total of 100 patients were included in the study. The failure rate of the voiding trial based on grades 1 to 3 IPP were 36% (13 of 36 cases), 58% (11 of 19) and 67% (30 of 45). This rate was significant (chi-square test for trend 0.007).

CONCLUSIONS

IPP is a useful predictor for evaluating the success of a voiding trial following ARU. Patients with a grade 1 prostate may benefit from a trial without a catheter. However, patients with a grade 3 prostate are less likely to do so and would require a more definitive surgical procedure.

Renal ultrasound

Renal US is one of several imaging modalities available to the EP in the evaluation of patients with acute urologic disorders. It offers excellent anatomic detail without exposure to radiation or contrast agents but is limited in its assessment of renal function. It is an important alternative to helical CT scanning for evaluating renal colic, especially in children and pregnant women. It has an important role in excluding bilateral renal obstruction as the cause of acute renal failure. It is likely that Doppler renal US also will take on a prominent role in the evaluation of renal vascular disorders. It already has become the standard of care in the management of renal transplant patients. Bedside emergency renal US performed and interpreted by EPs with limited training and experience is increasing in use and gaining acceptance. At present, the primary role of renal US is to identify hydronephrosis in patients with renal colic or acute renal failure but, in the future, its role likely will expand as technology advances and its use increases. In many patients, bedside renal US may obviate the need for further diagnostic workup and speed the diagnosis and treatment of an emergency patient.

Intravesical Prostatic Protrusion is Better Than Prostate Volume in Predicting the Outcome of Trial Without Catheter in White Men Presenting With Acute Urinary Retention: A Prospective Clinical Study

PURPOSE

Trial without catheter after a short course of an alpha-blocker in men presenting with acute urinary retention is successful in up to 50% of cases. The ability to better predict outcome could avoid a trial without catheter for some men. Intravesical prostatic protrusion and not prostate volume has been shown to predict trial without catheter outcome in an Asian cohort. We investigated the relationship between the outcome of trial without catheter and prostate volume and intravesical prostatic protrusion in white men given alpha-blockers before a trial without catheter.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Consecutive men 50 years old or older presenting with acute urinary retention were prospectively recruited based on strict selection criteria. At presentation factors thought to precipitate acute urinary retention were treated, alpha-blocker therapy started and the patient brought back for a trial without catheter after 2 weeks. Prostate volume and intravesical prostatic protrusion were measured by standard transrectal ultrasonography.

RESULTS

Of 121 men presenting with acute urinary retention 57 fulfilled the study selection criteria. Mean (+/- SD) age, prostate volume and intravesical prostatic protrusion of recruited men were 70 +/- 9.2 years, 69.7 +/- 36.3 ml and 12.8 +/- 10.1 mm, respectively. A total of 25 men (43.9%) had a successful trial without catheter. Mean intravesical prostatic protrusion was significantly smaller in those who had a successful trial without catheter (7.2 vs 16.5 mm, 95% CI 4.5-14, p <0.001). With intravesical prostatic protrusion correlating well with prostate volume (r = 0.588), mean prostate volume was also smaller in men with a successful trial without catheter, albeit with a smaller effect size. Men with an intravesical prostatic protrusion of 10 mm or less, compared to those with a larger intravesical prostatic protrusion, were 6 times more likely to have a successful trial without catheter.

CONCLUSIONS

In this cohort presenting with acute urinary retention related to benign prostatic hyperplasia and receiving alpha-blockers before a trial without catheter, intravesical prostatic protrusion appears to strongly predict the outcome of a trial without catheter. A trial without catheter is more likely to fail in patients with intravesical prostatic protrusion larger than 10 mm.

The day-to-day variation (test-retest reliability) of residual urine measurement

OBJECTIVE

To determine the variation in repeated measurements of post-void residual urine volume (PVR), determined by transabdominal ultrasonography (TAUS), within an individual over time (test-retest reliability).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Forty men with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia and awaiting transurethral resection of the prostate were studied over 3 months. Each underwent TAUS to determine both pre- and post-micturition residual volumes on six occasions within the study period.

RESULTS

Although one-third of the patients had approximately constant residual volumes (variation in range < 120 mL), two-thirds had wide intra-individual variations over time (variation in range 150-670 mL). The values were log transformed to give a normal distribution and subjected to analysis of variance; there was a wide variation between and also within individuals. The larger the mean PVR, the larger was the overall variation in time. For those with a mean PVR of < 100 mL, the variation was less marked and these patients showed a more consistent test-retest repeatability.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the PVR determined by TAUS may be useful to indicate aspects of bladder dysfunction or outlet obstruction, the wide variation in repeated measurements in the same individual limits its use for any clinical purpose that requires repeated assessment, e.g. in monitoring the response to treatment. There is poor test-retest reliability and PVRs cannot be determined reliably from a single measurement.

Relation of postvoid residual to urinary tract infection during stroke rehabilitation11No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the author(s) or upon any organization with which the author(s) is/are associated

OBJECTIVES

To examine (1) risk factors for urinary tract infection (UTI) during stroke rehabilitation and (2) the relation of postvoid residual (PVR) to the frequency of UTI.

DESIGN

Prospective case series.

SETTING

Academic specialty stroke rehabilitation service.

PARTICIPANTS

One hundred one consecutive admissions for stroke rehabilitation.

INTERVENTIONS

Not applicable. Main outcome measure Presence or absence of UTI.

RESULTS

Previously undiagnosed UTI was found in 28 of 101 subjects. Two or more PVR determinations of 150mL or more were an independent risk factor for UTI. In multivariate analysis, factors associated with increased risk of UTI included only use of beta-blockers and 2 peak PVR determinations of 150mL or more. Single determinations were not significant.

CONCLUSION

The optimal PVR for initiating bladder catheterization during stroke rehabilitation remains unknown, but the risk of UTI increases only when 2 or more ultrasound PVR readings are more than 150mL.

Noninvasive bladder volume measurement

The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of bladder volume measurements using a portable ultrasound machine to measurement by catheterization. For 13 consecutive weeks, all patients admitted to the stroke unit at Royal Perth Hospital were studied by both methods when urinary retention was suspected. The accuracy of ultrasound bladder volume measurements and interobserver reliability were evaluated. Ninety ultrasound examinations were performed prior to catheterization, 70 were by one nurse, and 20 independently by two nurses. Correlation of ultrasound measurements with actual catheterized volume was highly significant (r = 0.983) as was interobserver reliability. The study showed that noninvasive bladder volume measurements using ultrasound are safe, effective, inexpensive and a useful adjunct to preventive bladder management and continence management in stroke patients.

Postpartum surveillance of urinary retention by ultrasonography: the effect of epidural analgesia

Our objective was to investigate by ultrasonography whether the risk for postpartum urinary retention is increased following administration of epidural analgesia during labor and delivery. In a prospective study, 106 healthy women who had undergone vaginal delivery were evaluated. Sixty-eight of the women had received epidural analgesia during labor and delivery. All subjects had an ultrasound examination at a mean of 42 h after delivery, and residual urine volume was estimated immediately after voiding. Correlations among obstetric parameters, epidural analgesia and residual urine volumes were evaluated. The mean accuracy rate of ultrasonography for estimation of bladder volumes was +/- 10.2%. No cases of clinically evident urinary retention were diagnosed in the total puerperal population. There were no significant differences between the groups in the average amounts of residual urine as measured by ultrasonography. With modern obstetric practice, epidural analgesia for labor is not associated with an increased risk for postpartum urinary retention. The non-invasive nature of ultrasound renders it especially attractive and useful for measuring residual urine volume in postpartum patients. The safety, simplicity and relative comfort of this method over-ride the slightly imperfect calculations that it currently yields, and makes it preferable to catheterization or cystometry for evaluation of residual urine volume.

Efficacy of Prostatic Artery Embolization for Catheter-Dependent Patients with Large Prostate Sizes and High Comorbidity Scores

PURPOSE

To evaluate efficacy and safety of prostate artery embolization (PAE) in urinary catheter-dependent patients with large prostate volumes and high comorbidity scores.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective single-center review was conducted of 30 patients with urinary retention at time of PAE from November 2014 through February 2017. Mean (range) age was 73.1 years (48-94 y), age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index was 4.5 (0-10), duration of urinary retention was 63.4 days (2-224 d), International Prostate Symptom Score quality-of-life (IPSS-QOL) was 5.3 (3-6), and prostate volume was 167.3 cm³ (55-557 cm³). These parameters were collected at 3, 6, and 12 months after PAE. Trials of voiding were performed approximately 2 weeks after PAE and, if failed, every 2 weeks thereafter. Adverse events were graded using the Clavien-Dindo classification.

RESULTS

At a mean (range) of 18.2 days (1-72 d), 26 (86.7%) patients were no longer reliant on catheters. Follow-up was obtained in all patients eligible at 3 and 6 months and 17 of 20 (85.0%) patients eligible at 1 year. Mean (range) IPSS-QOL improved significantly to 1.2 (0-5), 0.7 (0-4), and 0.6 (0-4) at 3, 6, and 12 months (all P < .001). Mean (range) prostate volume decreased significantly to 115.9 cm³ (27-248 cm³) at 3 months (P < .001). Two patients experienced grade II urosepsis complications, which were successfully treated with intravenous antibiotics. All other complications were self-limited grade I complications.

CONCLUSIONS

PAE represents a safe and effective option for management of patients with urinary retention, especially patients with large prostates who are not ideal surgical candidates.

Postpartum urinary retention after cesarean delivery

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the incidence of postpartum urinary retention (PUR) after cesarean delivery and determine which obstetric factors contribute to this problem.

METHOD

A prospective study recruited 605 pregnant women who had a cesarean delivery. Each patient's postvoid residual bladder volume (PVRBV) was estimated with an ultrasound scan after first micturition. The women were divided into 2 groups: PUR (PVRBV > or =150 mL) and normal. Patients' characteristics, obstetric parameters, and prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms at 3 months postpartum were compared.

RESULT

The overall incidence of PUR was 24.1%. The incidence of overt and covert PUR was 7.4% and 16.7%, respectively. Morphine-related postoperative analgesia, multiple pregnancy, and low body mass index were significantly associated with PUR. At 3-month follow-up, 5.0% of patients had obstructive voiding symptoms and 9.1% had irritative voiding symptoms.

CONCLUSION

Our results revealed PUR was a common phenomenon in patients who had a cesarean delivery, and morphine-related postoperative analgesia was the main contributing factor.

Accuracy and precision of a new portable ultrasound scanner, the BME-150A, in residual urine volume measurement: a comparison with the BladderScan BVI 3000

The objective of the study was to determine the relative accuracy of a new portable ultrasound unit, BME-150A, and the BladderScan BVI 3000, as assessed in comparison with the catheterized residual urine volume. We used both of these machines to prospectively measure the residual urine volumes of 89 patients (40 men and 49 women) who were undergoing urodynamic studies. The ultrasound measurements were compared with the post-scan bladder volumes obtained by catheterization in the same patients. The ultrasounds were followed immediately (within 5 min) by in-and-out catheterizations while the patients were in a supine position. There were a total of 116 paired measurements made. The BME-150A and the BVI 3000 demonstrated a correlation with the residual volume of 0.92 and 0.94, and a mean difference from the true residual volume of 7.8 and 3.6 ml, respectively. Intraclass correlation coefficients for the accuracy of the two bladder scans were 0.90 for BME-150A and 0.95 for BVI 3000. The difference of accuracy between the two models was not significant (p = 0.2421). There were six cases in which a follow-up evaluation of falsely elevated post-void residual urine volume measurements on the ultrasound studies resulted in comparatively low catheterized volumes, with a range of differences from 66 to 275.5 ml. These cases were diagnosed with an ovarian cyst, uterine myoma, or uterine adenomyosis on pelvic ultrasonography. The accuracy of the BME-150A is comparable to that of the BVI 3000 in estimating the true residual urine volumes and is sufficient enough for us to recommend its use as an alternative to catheterization.

Transurethral needle ablation of the prostate: clinical experience in patients in urinary acute retention

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the clinical outcome of patients in urinary retention due to benign prostatic enlargement (BPE) treated using transurethral needle ablation (TUNA), an outpatient procedure requiring only local intra-urethral anaesthesia and intravenous sedoanalgesia.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The TUNA technique was used in 38 patients in acute retention due to BPE, 34 of whom were a poor surgical risk. A special cytoscopic catheter device delivered low-level radiofrequency (RF) energy interstitially to a localized area of the prostate, producing necrotic lesions within the prostatic parenchyma. After treatment, all men were evaluated using urinary flow rates, residual urine volume, the International Prostate Symptom Score and quality of life score at 1, 3 and 6 months.

RESULTS

The mean prostate size was 43.1 g (range 18-90). Tolerance of the procedure when using topical anaesthetic and intravenous sedation was excellent. Of the 38 patients treated using TUNA, 30 (79%) resumed voiding within a mean of 8.7 days (range 2-27). After 6 months, the sustained mean peak flow rate was 10.4 +/- 3.4 mL/s and the mean residual volume was 76 +/- 45 mL. Five of the patients who did not resume voiding after TUNA underwent retropubic prostatectomy and one patient underwent TURP. The mean prostate size in these patients was 55.7 g. Failure to void was associated with the treatment of too few areas of the prostate for its volume.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that TUNA is highly effective in relieving patients in urinary retention due to BPE and seems particularly suitable for treating patients who are at greater risk during surgery.

A case of retention of urine and haematocolpometra

SUMMARY

A 13-year-old local girl presented to the emergency department with a 12-h history of lower abdominal pain and inability to pass urine. Examination showed that she was in urinary retention and an imperforate hymen was found. Further investigation showed haematocolpos and haematometra. This is a rare cause of the retention of urine and the emergency physician should consider this condition in women between the ages of 12 and 18 years presenting with abdominal pain and obscure urinary complaints.

Effect of the duration of labor on postpartum postvoid residual bladder volume

In order to investigate the possibility of protracted labor as a risk factor for postpartum urinary retention and to study the relation between duration of labor and postpartum day 1 postvoid residual bladder volume, the postpartum postvoid residual bladder volume (PVRBV) of a group of patients was studied using ultrasonography. Out of 707 patients investigated during a 2-month study period, a homogeneous group of 164 patients, with possible risk factors for postpartum urinary retention being controlled, was studied. The homogeneous group's postpartum day 1 postvoid residual bladder volumes were assessed by ultrasonography and analyzed with respect to the duration of labor. The incidence of postpartum urinary retention ( > or = 150 ml) was 11% in this homogeneous group. Labor duration longer than or equal to 800 min was associated with a higher incidence of postpartum urinary retention (chi2 test; p < 0.05). Moreover, there is a direct relationship between the duration of labor and PVRBV which is described by a quadratic regression curve. Protracted labor longer than or equal to 800 min is a risk factor for postpartum urinary retention. The PVRBV is directly related to the duration of labor.

Placement of a wire mesh prosthesis in the external urinary sphincter of men with spinal cord injuries

The authors report their experience with an intraurethral prosthetic stent as an alternative treatment for detrusor-external urethral sphincter dyssynergia (DESD). A sphincter prosthesis was inserted into the membranous urethra of 25 men with spinal cord injuries, DESD, and elevated voiding pressure. Bladder voiding pressure decreased from 87 cm H2O +/- 23 to 27 cm H2O +/- 11 in 12 months (P < .001). There was a significant decrease in residual urine volume 12 months after prosthesis placement, from 122 mL +/- 77 to 33 mL +/- 19 (P < .01); bladder capacity remained relatively unchanged, from 174 mL +/- 84 to 230 mL +/- 92 (P < .57). No deleterious effects were seen in renal or erectile function. Migration of three prostheses occurred 1 day to 6 weeks after insertion. One additional complication, pyelonephritis, occurred in a patient with preexisting vesicoureteral reflux, necessitating reimplantation of bilateral ureters. The intraurethral wire mesh prosthesis, with its simplicity of placement and minimal associated morbidity, offers a potential alternative to external sphincterotomy.

Ultrasound-guided suprapubic cystostomy catheter placement in the emergency department

The purpose of this article is to describe a series of patients undergoing ultrasound-guided suprapubic cystostomy catheter placement in the Emergency Department. A series of 17 consecutive patients who underwent emergent real-time ultrasound-guided suprapubic cystostomy in the ED over a 2-year period is reported. The procedure was facilitated by direct ultrasound imaging of the bladder using a Digital Sonoace 5500 machine. Procedural notes and follow-up records were analyzed for efficacy, safety, and complications. The results demonstrated that trans-abdominal ultrasound confirmed urinary retention before drainage in each of the 17 cases enrolled. Each patient required emergent suprapubic cystostomy catheter placement for acute urinary outflow obstruction because urethral bladder catheterization was not possible or was contraindicated. Continuous real-time ultrasound-guided percutaneous suprapubic cystostomy placement and decompression of the bladder was successful in all 17 (100%, 90-100% CI: 95%) cases. There were no complications reported. In conclusion, real-time ultrasound imaging of the bladder was successful for the purpose of aiding the guidance of a suprapubic cystostomy catheter placement in the ED and might represent an improvement from the standard blind method presently used.

Sonographic findings of acute urinary retention secondary to an impacted pelvic mass

OBJECTIVE

To describe the sonographic findings in a series of cases of acute urinary retention due to an impacted pelvic mass.

METHODS

The anatomic changes of the lower urinary tract in 6 patients with impacted pelvic masses and acute urinary retention (3 cases of an impacted uterine leiomyoma and 3 cases of a retroverted gravid uterus) were evaluated with transabdominal and transvaginal sonography.

RESULTS

When patients were in the supine position, the impacted pelvic masses displaced the cervix superiorly and anteriorly, compressing the lower bladder, leading to obstruction of the internal urethral orifice. During straining, there was no limitation of urethral mobility, but the increased abdominal pressure further compressed the lower bladder. When the subjects stood, the lower bladder filled with urine. There was descent of the bladder neck, and obstruction was relieved.

CONCLUSIONS

Acute urinary retention in cases of an impacted pelvic mass is caused by a displaced cervix compressing the lower bladder, obstructing the internal urethral orifice. The urethra itself is not compressed or distorted.

Ultrasonic measurement of bladder weight as a possible predictor of acute urinary retention in men with lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia

Acute urinary retention (AUR) is one of the most undesirable events for elderly men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). This study was designed to test the clinical utility of ultrasonic measurement of bladder weight as a predictor of AUR. A total number of 160 men visited our clinic with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) suggestive of BPH and underwent urodynamic studies, including transrectal ultrasonography of the prostate and the measurement of ultrasound (US) estimated bladder weight (UEBW). Among them, 31 (19.4%) presented to our clinic with AUR. From the thickness of the anterior bladder wall measured by transabdominal ultrasonography and the intravesical volume, UEBW was calculated, supposing the bladder to be a sphere. Between patients with and without AUR, there were significant differences for age (75.4 vs. 71.1 years, p < 0.005), prostatic volume (45.5 vs. 35.8 g, p < 0.05), transition zone (TZ) volume (29.4 vs. 20.2 g, p < 0.05), TZ index (0.606 vs. 0.493, p < 0.005) and UEBW (50.3 vs. 34.7 g, p < 0.0001). A receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated UEBW to be superior to the other prostatic ultrasonic measures in identifying AUR. Patients with LUTS suggestive of BPH having UEBW greater than 35.0 g were 13.4 times as likely to suffer from AUR. The significant association of UEBW with an increased risk of AUR suggests that it would be promising as a noninvasive urodynamic parameter capable of identifying patients at increased risk of AUR.