ABSTRACT
Purpose@#This study aimed to determine the urodynamic characteristics of refractory enuresis and explored whether those characteristics can be managed through differential endoscopic injections with botulinum toxin. @*Methods@#In total, 27 patients with nonmonosymptomatic enuresis who showed no response after conservative treatment for more than 12 months were included. The patients then underwent a videourodynamic study and received a differential endoscopic injection of botulinum toxin on the same day. Reduced capacity, detrusor overactivity, and bladder neck widening were the 3 major abnormal findings assessed during the filling phase, while sphincter hyperactivity was the only abnormality assessed during the emptying phase. An intravesical or intrasphincteric injection of botulinum toxin was attempted according to the videourodynamic study findings. Follow-up was conducted at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment. @*Results@#The median age was 10 years (range, 7–31 years). Although 19 and 8 patients had a preoperative diagnosis of overactive bladder or dysfunctional voiding, respectively, the urodynamic diagnosis was different in more than half of the patients. Those showing detrusor overactivity benefited from intravesical botulinum toxin injection, whereas those with only sphincter hyperactivity benefited from both intravesical and intrasphincteric injections. Treatment resistance to botulinum toxin seemed to be attributable to bladder neck widening. Time had no apparent effect on efficacy, which persisted 6 months after the injection. More than 80% of the patients maintained the benefits of the injection after 1 year. @*Conclusions@#Videourodynamic studies were useful for identifying the reasons underlying refractory nonmonosymptomatic enuresis and helpful for determining the appropriate site of botulinum toxin injection.
ABSTRACT
Purpose@#This study aimed to determine the urodynamic characteristics of refractory enuresis and explored whether those characteristics can be managed through differential endoscopic injections with botulinum toxin. @*Methods@#In total, 27 patients with nonmonosymptomatic enuresis who showed no response after conservative treatment for more than 12 months were included. The patients then underwent a videourodynamic study and received a differential endoscopic injection of botulinum toxin on the same day. Reduced capacity, detrusor overactivity, and bladder neck widening were the 3 major abnormal findings assessed during the filling phase, while sphincter hyperactivity was the only abnormality assessed during the emptying phase. An intravesical or intrasphincteric injection of botulinum toxin was attempted according to the videourodynamic study findings. Follow-up was conducted at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment. @*Results@#The median age was 10 years (range, 7–31 years). Although 19 and 8 patients had a preoperative diagnosis of overactive bladder or dysfunctional voiding, respectively, the urodynamic diagnosis was different in more than half of the patients. Those showing detrusor overactivity benefited from intravesical botulinum toxin injection, whereas those with only sphincter hyperactivity benefited from both intravesical and intrasphincteric injections. Treatment resistance to botulinum toxin seemed to be attributable to bladder neck widening. Time had no apparent effect on efficacy, which persisted 6 months after the injection. More than 80% of the patients maintained the benefits of the injection after 1 year. @*Conclusions@#Videourodynamic studies were useful for identifying the reasons underlying refractory nonmonosymptomatic enuresis and helpful for determining the appropriate site of botulinum toxin injection.
ABSTRACT
Experimental findings have suggested that the metabolic activities of articular cartilage can be influenced by mechanical stimuli. Our recent mathematical analysis predicted that cyclic compressive loading may create periods of intermittent negative hydrostatic pressure within the cartilage extracellular matrix. Therefore, we hypothesize that intermittent negative hydrostatic pressure, created in the cartilage extracellular matrix during dynamic compression, has a stimulative effect on the biosynthesis of chondrocytes. In order to test this hypothesis, the present study developed a custom designed negative pressure generator to subject a monolayer culture of chondrocytes to an intermittent negative pressure. It was found that the intermittent negative pressure produced a 40% increase in proteoglycan and a l7% increase in non-collagenous protein synthesis during the pressurization period(p (0.05). The collagenous protein synthesis was not affected by the intermittent negative pressure regimen used in this study. After the intermittent negative pressurization, the metabolic activities of the chondrocytes returned to normal(control level). The intermittent negative pressure also produced an increase in the mRNA signals for aggrecan. Therefore, we conclude that intermittent negative pressure may be one of the major mechanical stimulators of chondrocytes in articular cartilage during dynamic compression.
