Bladder function in elderly men with subclinical brain magnetic resonance imaging lesions

Among 43 men more than 60 years old who complained of urinary irritative symptoms 40 had subclinical lesions in the brain on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Of these 40 patients 23 (57.5%) had detrusor hyperreflexia. The mean age of the patients with and without detrusor hyperreflexia was 75.8 and 68.2 years, respectively, which is a statistically significant difference. Patients with detrusor hyperreflexia were more likely to have lesions of the basal ganglia than patients without detrusor hyperreflexia. This study suggests that detrusor hyperreflexia, subclinical MRI lesions in the brain and aging are intimately interrelated.