Nocturnal enuresis in adolescents and adults is associated with childhood elimination symptoms.

PURPOSE: Since nocturnal enuresis in adults and adolescents is rarely monosymptomatic, we identified the prevalence of childhood bladder and bowel dysfunction, and compared findings to those in a normative cohort. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Childhood and current bladder and bowel dysfunction were investigated in 56 consecutive adolescents and adults attending a public nocturnal enuresis service and in 293 normative adults using a self-administered questionnaire. Analysis involved descriptive statistics, the chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests, and regression analysis with p <0.05 considered significant. RESULTS: Adolescents and adults attending a public nocturnal enuresis service had significantly higher childhood scores than normative adults, and significantly more childhood urgency, frequency, urge incontinence, infrequent voiding and small volume, high urge voids. Infrequent bowel action and fecal soiling in childhood were also significantly more common in those with nocturnal enuresis than in controls. Adult symptoms of urge incontinence, general bowel symptoms and nocturnal enuresis were significantly more common in adults and adolescents with nocturnal enuresis. Significant associations were found between childhood symptoms and adult overactive bladder, and childhood emptying dysfunction and adult voiding dysfunction. Higher childhood scores in adults and adolescents with nocturnal enuresis correlated significantly with current adult symptoms of urge, urge leakage, stress incontinence, hesitancy, incomplete emptying and UTI within the last year. CONCLUSIONS: Significant childhood bladder and bowel symptoms along with more adult urge and bowel dysfunction were found in adults and adolescents with nocturnal enuresis. The association with adult urgency and urinary tract infection supports the likelihood of underlying bladder and or voiding dysfunction in unremitting nocturnal enuresis.

Renal and bladder functional status at diagnosis as predictive factors for the outcome of primary vesicoureteral reflux in children.

PURPOSE: We studied the relationship between renal and bladder functional status at diagnosis and spontaneous resolution of reflux in young children with primary vesicoureteral reflux. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Children with grade III or greater vesicoureteral reflux were recruited for the study. At entry each patient underwent voiding cystourethrogram, renal ultrasound, isotope renogram, and natural filling and conventional filling urodynamic studies. Patients were then divided into 4 groups-group 1 had normal renal and bladder function, group 2 had abnormal renal and normal bladder function, group 3 had normal renal and abnormal bladder function, and group 4 had abnormal renal and bladder function. Correlation between renal and bladder functional status with reflux resolution at a minimum followup of 24 months was evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 82 patients (mean age 3.8 years) were prospectively evaluated and followed. There were 18 patients (13 males and 5 females) in group 1, 19 (13 and 6) in group 2, 19 (18 and 1) in group 3 and 26 (22 and 4) in group 4. Complete resolution of vesicoureteral reflux occurred in 17 patients (94%) in group 1 and 7 (37%) in group 2. None of the patients from group 3 or group 4 achieved complete vesicoureteral reflux resolution. Reflux grade remained unchanged in 15 patients (79%) in group 3 and 20 (77%) in group 4. CONCLUSIONS: Resolution of vesicoureteral reflux significantly correlated with renal and bladder functional status at diagnosis. Normal renal and bladder function at diagnosis is highly predictive of complete resolution of vesicoureteral reflux, whereas abnormal renal and bladder function is prognostic for persistence of reflux.

PinQ: a valid, reliable and reproducible quality-of-life measure in children with bladder dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE: Recently, a cross-cultural continence-specific paediatric quality-of-life measurement tool (PinQ) has been developed and tested psychometrically. The aim of this study was to evaluate the test re-test reliability of this new tool in a cohort of children with bladder dysfunction in order to evaluate the reproducibility of scores. A secondary aim was to compare the parent-completed proxy version with child-reported scores. METHODS: PinQ was translated and back-translated from English into Chinese and Dutch and scrutinized for cultural and linguistic appropriateness or ambiguity. Forty children aged 6-15 years from both countries were asked to self-complete the measure at first consultation and then again 14 days later. No new treatment was implemented between data collection points. On the initial visit, parents also completed a proxy version of PinQ. Intraclass correlations (one-way random effects model) were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for comparison between items and factors showed little variability in scoring. One item was not reproducible and was removed from the tool. Overall proxy scores varied little from the child-reported scores. However, the impact on the child of his/her parent's concern about the bladder problem was poorly perceived (ICC=0.18) as was the impact on the child's sense of self-worth (0.17). CONCLUSION: PinQ has been shown to be reliable under test re-test conditions when completed by children from the age of 6 years. Proxy PinQ suggests that parents accurately evaluate the effect of bladder dysfunction on wellbeing in their children. A 20-item measurement tool will now be introduced clinically and subjected to sensitivity testing for treatment outcome and diagnostic grouping.

Urodynamic findings in adults with primary nocturnal enuresis.

PURPOSE: We evaluate bladder function in adults with primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) since childhood. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We recruited all patients older than 16 years who presented to our PNE clinic with persistent enuretic symptoms. All patients were assessed by a detailed voiding diary, uroflowmetry and ultrasonography of the urinary tract. Urodynamic studies were performed for those with moderate or severe PNE (more than 3 wet nights a week). RESULTS: The study included 18 males and 29 females with a mean age of 20 years (range 16 to 43). Of these patients 37 (79%) had moderate or severe symptoms and 17 (38%) also had daytime urinary symptoms. Urodynamic studies were conducted in 30 patients, including 12 males and 16 females (93%) with detrusor overactivity. In addition, 73% of patients had urodynamic evidence of functional bladder outflow obstruction, including dysfunctional voiding and detrusor sphincter or detrusor pelvic discoordination. Two male patients (6.7%) had an obstructive pattern on urodynamics and subsequent cystoscopic examination confirmed the presence of congenital obstructive urethral lesions. Sixteen patients (53%) had significantly reduced bladder capacity of less than 300 ml. CONCLUSIONS: Unlike in early childhood, the majority (79%) of enuretic adults had significant symptoms, and more than a third also had daytime urinary symptoms. We believe that PNE in adults is not only a psychologically disturbing condition, but also a urological disorder with significant underlying bladder dysfunction that warrants special attention to management.

Characteristics of primary nocturnal enuresis in adults: an epidemiological study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) in adults in Hong Kong, as there are currently limited epidemiological data in adults. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: After a telephone survey, 8534 respondents (3996 males and 4538 females) aged 16-40 years were selected for the study and stratified in age groups. The questionnaire used comprised two parts; the first started with questions mainly about the general demographic background to decrease the sensitivity of the study and to establish rapport. The second part was conducted through an automated telephone interview service, with the questions being asked by recorded messages and the respondents then keying in their responses with no need to converse with an interviewer. This part included questions about enuretic symptoms and a subjective assessment of social and psychological effects of bedwetting, and measurements of the individual's self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale) and depression (The Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale). RESULTS: Of the 8534 subjects interviewed, 196 had PNE, giving an overall prevalence of 2.3% (2.7% males and 2.0% females); of these 196, 36 (18.4%) also had daytime urinary incontinence. Hence, 1.9% of adults (2.2% males and 1.7% females) had monosymptomatic PNE. Of these, 53% wet >3 nights/week and 26% wet every night. Prevalence rates remained relatively stable among different age groups, with no apparent trend of a reduction with age. Compared with nonenuretic normal controls, significantly fewer enuretics reached tertiary education (33.4% vs 17.8%, P < 0.01). Bedwetters had a significantly higher incidence of depression and lower self-esteem, and a higher incidence of sleep disturbances than the control group. Among bedwetters, 32-40% felt that there was some effect on their choice of job, work performance and social activities, whilst 23% felt the condition affected their family life and in making friends of either sex. However, there was no significant difference in the marital status. Interestingly, only 34.5% of females and half of males used various methods before bedtime to prevent bedwetting. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, 2.3% of Hong Kong adults aged 16-40 years have persistent PNE. Unlike PNE in early childhood the prevalence remained relatively unchanged with age, suggesting that enuretic symptoms persisting into adulthood are probably less likely to resolve with time. Also, significantly more patients had more severe enuretic symptoms. These findings therefore highlight the possibility that PNE in adults may represent a more pronounced form of the condition, and with a more serious social and psychological effect on affected individuals. Further work is needed to evaluate the pathogenesis and management strategy.

Reduction in nocturnal functional bladder capacity is a common factor in the pathogenesis of refractory nocturnal enuresis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diurnal and nocturnal bladder reservoir function in patients with refractory primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ninety-five children (68 boys, 27 girls, mean age 9.3 years) with significant PNE (>/=3 wet nights/week) that was refractory to treatment with desmopressin +/- an enuretic alarm were assessed using detailed recording of voiding frequency and urinary volume both day and night, natural filling cystometry during the day and continuous cystometry with simultaneous electroencephalogram monitoring during sleep at night. RESULTS: Patients could be broadly categorized into two groups. Group A comprised those with normal daytime urodynamics and functional bladder capacity (FBC) on detailed frequency-volume recording, but who developed marked detrusor instability associated with a significant reduction in nocturnal FBC and small-volume voiding only after sleep at night (33 patients, 35%); and group B, those with abnormal daytime urodynamics and with reduced FBC and small-volume voiding both day and night, but who somehow managed to mask their bladder symptoms during the day (62 patients, 65%). There was no evidence of nocturnal polyuria in either group and the ratios of day : night urinary output volumes for type A and type B patients were 1.48 and 1.99, respectively. CONCLUSION: A reduction in nocturnal FBC, either occurring only after sleep at night in association with the appearance of detrusor instability in patients with normal daytime urodynamics and FBC, or as a manifestation of occult voiding dysfunction or bladder outlet obstruction that affects the bladder reservoir function both day and night, appears to be a common factor and probably the main cause for a mismatch between nocturnal urine output and bladder storage capacity in patients with severe bed-wetting that was refractory to treatment.