A combined urodynamic and electrophysiological study of diabetic cystopathy

The aim of this study is to compare urodynamics and electrophysiological studies in the diagnosis of diabetic cystopathy.

In this prospective study are included twenty six patients with diabetes mellitus diagnosed at least since 5 years; 17 patients with diabetes type II and 9 with type I. They were divided in two groups in respect to lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and signs suggestive of lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD) according to the ICS standardization. Patients with LUTS/LUTD were included in Group A and patients without LUTS/LUTD in Group B. Patients underwent different studies: urodynamic, somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) of tibial and pudendal nerves, bulbocavernosus reflex (BCR), bulbocavernosus muscles' electromyography and motor evoked potentials after transcranial magnetic stimulation to indirectly investigate bladder's innervation.

Abnormal urodynamics were found in 13 patients of group A (92.9%) and in 5 of group B (47.1%). This difference was statistically significant (P=0.009). Abnormally prolonged latency of P40 of tibial SSEP was found in 11 patients of group A (78.6%) and in 4 of group B (33.3%) and this difference was also statistically significant (P=0.04). Differences between the two groups concerning: i) peripheral polyneuropathy; ii) pudendal SSEP, iii) dysfunction of central nervous system and iv) abnormal BCR were not statistically significant.

The study of tibial SSEP is an easily performed test and it is well correlated to abnormal urodynamics in diabetic patients with and without LUTD/LUTS.