Clinical Evaluation of Female Patients with Acute Urinary Retention

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: While acute urinary retention(AUR) secondary to bladder outlet obstruction in the male occurs commonly and rarely causes difficulty with diagnosis and treatment but AUR in female is an uncommon findings. This study was performed to evaluate AUR in possible causes by urodynamic study and analyzed the results of treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We have retrospectively tried to evaluate the possible causes of AUR in 41 female patients. Urine analysis, urine culture, urodynamic study and selectively cystoscopy were performed in 41patients. We analysed the urodynamic feature respectively and classified into areflexia type, hyperreflexia type, detrusor hyperreflexia with impaired contractility(DHIC) type and normal finding. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 57.9 years. Major causes of AUR were CNS lesion(13 cases, 31.7%), diabetes mellitus(6 cases, 15.3%) and spinal lesion(4 cases, 10.2%). Urethral catheterization was employed as initial treatment in 32 cases(78.0%). Catheter was removed after mean 5.2 days and selective urodynamic study was done in 36 cases. Urodynamically, there were hyperreflexia type 16 cases(44.4%), areflexic type 9 cases(25%), DHIC type 6 case(16.7%), normal finding 5 cases(13.9%). The treatments of areflexic type included intermittent catheterization(IC) in 4 cases (44.4%), urethral catheterization in 3 cases (33.3%), medical therapy in 2 cases(22.2%). The treatments of hyperreflexia type included IC in 4 cases(25%), urethral catheterization in 1 case(6.3%) and medical therapy in 11 cases(68.8%). The treatments of DHIC type included IC in 2 cases(5.5%), urethral catheterization in 1 case(2.8%), medical therapy in 2 cases(5.5%) and ileal conduit in 1 case(2.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Causes of female AUR were commonly considered the functional urinary retention and rarely organic urinary retention, but there were various causes. Our study indicated the need to consider the gender and urodynamic finding on the evaluation and treatment of AUR.