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Published on: April 27, 2014
Sacral neuromodulation for urinary retention caused by sexual abuse
B von Heyden1, R Steinert, H W Bothe
1Department of Urology, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster, Germany. sekretariat.uro@friederikenstift.de
Objective:
This case report describes the use of sacral neuromodulation to treat urinary retention after sexual abuse.
Methods:
Sacral neuromodulation was added to therapeutic regimen of a 38-year-old woman in whom chronic, complete urinary retention developed after psychological and sexual abuse during childhood.
Results:
The combination of psychotherapy and neuromodulation restored the patient's ability to void, whereas psychotherapy alone had not.
Conclusions:
Although a multifactorial etiology of retention cannot be ruled out in this patient, neuromodulation might effectively treat urinary retention in cases of a conversion disorder after sexual abuse.
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