Neurogenic failures of the external urethral sphincter closure and relaxation; a videourodynamic study

Urinary urgency and voiding difficulty are common features in neurological diseases, which can be attributed to dysfunction of the urethral sphincter and the detrusor. However, little is known about dynamic sphincter behaviour in neurological diseases. The present study aimed at investigating neurogenic failures of the external urethral sphincter closure and relaxation by videourodynamic study. We recruited 44 neurological patients with urinary urgency and frequency, 27 men and 17 women, mean age 61 years, and 28 of them had voiding difficulty as well. None had abnormal finding of digital examination or ultrasound echography of the pelvic organs. Using triple-lumen 7F catheter under X-ray fluoroscope, we measured detrusor pressure, external urethral sphincter pressure (Pura) and external sphincter EMG in all patients. We also performed pressure-flow study and obtained the Abram-Griffiths (AG) number, a numerical grade of obstruction. During filling 30 had detrusor hyperreflexia. EMG-cystometry showed uninhibited external sphincter relaxation (UESR) in eight patients, seven of whom had detrusor hyperreflexia as well. Patients with UESR showed an abnormal reduction of Pura, mean reduction 64 +/- 27 cmH2O (mean +/- standard deviation). During UESR the Pura and EMG activity fluctuated, and fluoroscopic image showed bladder neck opening in four with extreme urge sensation, including one without detrusor hyperreflexia. During an attempt of voiding three patients with voiding difficulty had detrusor-external sphincter dyssynergia (DESD) with detrusor contraction and eight had unrelaxing external sphincter without detrusor contraction. Fluoroscopic image showed an incomplete or absent urethral opening at the external sphincter. Four of them had severe straining on voiding together with intermittent increment of EMG activity without a normal funneling of the bladder neck. The mean reduction of Pura during voiding was 6.4 +/- 6.7 cmH2O and 5.0 +/- 9.5 cmH2O (in women and men, respectively) with DESD or unrelaxing external sphincter which was less than 39 +/- 25 cmH2O and 53 +/- 47 cmH2O in those without (P < 0.01). The mean AG number was 15 +/- 21 and 51 +/- 19 (for women and men, respectively) with DESD or unrelaxing external sphincter which was larger than 6.2 +/- 34 and 35 +/- 22 in those without (P < 0.05). In conclusion, UESR and DESD/unrelaxing external sphincter could be a factor for urinary urgency and voiding difficulty in neurological patients, evidence of central dysregulation affecting the Onuf's nucleus and its fibres to the external urethral sphincter.