[Urinary urgency and reflex incontinence]

Urge and reflex incontinence are caused by detrusor dysfunction:urgency may be due to hyperactivity or hypersensitivity of the bladder. Neurogenic hyperactivity of the detrusor is called detrusor hyperreflexia: the neurogenic uninhibited bladder is caused by incomplete, and the so-called reflex bladder by complete, suprasacral lesions. The pathophysiology of symptomatic and idiopathic detrusor hyperactivity and the therapeutic armentarium are described. Bladder drill together with biofeedback and pharmacotherapy with spasmolytic drugs - several potent spasmolytic drugs with different modes of action are available - are the basis of treatment for hyperactivity and hypersensitivity of the detrusor. An alternative is electrostimulation: stimulation of the afferents of the pudendal nerve, via the pelvic floor (anal, vaginal), percutaneously (dorsal nerve of the penis, clitoric nerve) or by the implantation of electrodes results in inhibition of the detrusor. Most (80-90%) patients can be treated successfully by conservative means. Operative measurements comprise bladder denervation and bladder augmentation. The results of bladder denervation by transtrigonal phenolization of the pelvic plexus are highly controversial. In patients with uncontrollable hyperactivity of the detrusor, augmentation of the bladder (e.g. clam ileocystoplasty) is the method of choice, while for those with uncontrollable hypersensitivity of the detrusor, cystectomy followed by bladder substitution should be performed as a last resort. Treatment for urinary incontinence due to detrusor hyperreflexia must be selected bearing in mind that bladder emptying is inadequate, in most cases because of dyssynergia between detrusor and external sphincter. Therapy is basically aimed at transforming hyperreflexia of the detrusor into hyporeflexia, primarily by potent spasmolytic drugs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)