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Ultrasonography of the Adult Male Urinary Tract for Urinary Functional Testing
Published on: August 14, 2019
Characteristics of the bladder in infants with urinary tract infections: an ultrasound study
Ji-Xian Liu1, Vivian Yee-Fong Leung, Winnie Chiu-Wing Chu
1Department of Surgery, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Insights
Urinary tract infections (UTI) in infants are linked to impaired bladder function, showing smaller maximal bladder volumes and increased residual volumes. Ultrasound measurements can objectively assess bladder changes during UTI in infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Urology
- Diagnostic Imaging
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Urinary tract infections (UTI) are known to cause impaired bladder function in patients.
- Urodynamic (UD) studies demonstrate this impairment, but are rarely performed in infants.
- Infants with UTI often present with subtle signs, making early diagnosis challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate bladder function in infants diagnosed with UTI.
- To utilize a dynamic ultrasound (US) protocol to measure key bladder parameters.
- To compare these parameters against those of healthy, age-matched infants.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 57 infants with proven UTI and 63 healthy controls.
- Measured maximal bladder volume (MaxBV) before voiding.
- Measured residual volume (RV) and bladder wall thickness (BWT) after voiding using ultrasound.
Main Results:
- Infants with UTI exhibited smaller MaxBV (34.89 ml) compared to controls (42.91 ml).
- UTI infants had significantly larger RV (3.46 ml vs. 1.51 ml) and BWT (4.21 mm vs. 3.68 mm).
- These differences were statistically significant (P<0.05).
Conclusions:
- Smaller bladder volumes, larger residual volumes, and thicker bladder walls in infants with UTI suggest bladder instability and edema.
- Ultrasound measurement of bladder parameters offers an objective method for clinical diagnosis.
- US assessment can aid in objectively evaluating bladder function during post-treatment follow-up.
Background:
Patients with urinary tract infection (UTI) are known to have impaired bladder function as demonstrated by urodynamic (UD) studies. UD is rarely performed in infants.
Objective:
To evaluate bladder function in infants with UTI using a dynamic US protocol. Maximal bladder volume (MaxBV), residual volume (RV) and bladder wall thickness (BWT) were measured and compared with values from normal controls.
Materials And Methods:
A total of 57 consecutive infants (47 males, 10 females; mean age 0.48+/-0.30 years) with proven UTI, and 63 age-matched normal controls (37 males, 26 females; mean age 0.47+/-0.37 years) were recruited. MaxBV was determined just before voiding, and RV and BWT were measured after spontaneous voiding.
Results:
Infants with UTI had smaller MaxBV (34.89 vs. 42.91 ml), larger RV (3.46 vs. 1.51 ml) and greater BWT (4.21 vs. 3.68 mm) than normal infants (P<0.05, Mann-Whitney test).
Conclusion:
Smaller bladder volume, larger residual volume and thicker bladder wall in infants with UTI can be explained by bladder instability, hypercontractility and infection-induced oedema of the bladder wall during UTI. The US measurement of bladder parameters might serve as an objective guide for clinical diagnosis and allow objective evaluation of bladder function during posttreatment follow-up.
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