Efficient treatment of neurogenic bladder disorders in multiple sclerosis with initial intermittent catheterization...

Out of 350 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, 197 had residual urine (RU), on average 113 ml on admission. Treatment with initial intermittent catheterisation and bladder training normalized the neurogenic bladder disorders (NBD) in most patients; the RU was 28 ml on average at discharge. Continence improved with the reduction of RU. Even in those 37 patients with a RU of over 200 ml on admission, this management reduced the average RU to 83 ml on discharge. Patients with a RU of over 50 ml had bacteriuria 3 times more often than patients with a lower RU. In patients admitted with a long-term catheter, the catheter was removed; these patients had an average RU of 166 ml on admission, 23 ml on discharge. There was a highly significant correlation between high RU and the degree of cerebral atrophy. Patients with more than 50 ml RU at discharge were those with severe cerebral atrophy, tetraplegia and dementia. The different patterns of NBD were merely different states of the same NBD under different training conditions. Since NBD occurs about a 1,000 times more often than bowel incontinence with the same lesions in MS, it is not the cerebrospinal lesions per se, but the peripheral vicious circle they trigger, which leads to detrusor hyperactivity and dyssynergy. The peripheral pathogenetic mechanism is urinary retention leading to bladder overextension. Urodynamic investigations beyond the measurement of RU (by ultrasound) are not necessary for the treatment of NBD in most MS patients. The noninvasive and inexpensive therapy described here is effective.