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Published on: August 14, 2019
[Lower urinary tract dysfunction: a common diagnosis in the pediatrics practice]
Monica Maria de Almeida Vasconcelos1, Eleonora Moreira Lima, Giovana Branco Vaz
1Departamento de Pediatria Ambulatório de Disfunção Vesical, Faculdade de Medicina, UFMG. monicavascon@ig.com.br
Insights
Lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD) is common in children but often under-diagnosed, risking upper urinary tract damage and causing emotional distress. Early diagnosis is crucial for managing incontinence and improving quality of life.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Urology
- Child Health
- Urodynamics
Context:
- Lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD) is a prevalent condition in children.
- It involves impaired urine storage and elimination, often leading to incontinence.
- Despite its impact, LUTD is frequently under-diagnosed in clinical practice.
Purpose:
- To highlight the diagnostic challenges of lower urinary tract dysfunction in pediatric patients.
- To emphasize the importance of recognizing LUTD symptoms for timely intervention.
- To provide key insights into the diagnosis of this common childhood condition.
Summary:
- LUTD affects coordinated bladder storage and voiding, impacting children's well-being.
- Urinary continence is typically achieved by ages 4 (day) and 5 (night); incontinence after these ages signifies a social problem.
- This dysfunction poses risks to the upper urinary tract and causes significant emotional distress for children and families.
Impact:
- Facilitating earlier diagnosis and management of pediatric lower urinary tract dysfunction.
- Reducing the emotional burden associated with urinary incontinence in children and their families.
- Improving the overall quality of life for children affected by lower urinary tract dysfunction.
Abstract:
Lower urinary tract dysfunction indicates an abnormal function of the lower urinary tract to the child's age, which can lead to loss of coordinated capacity storage and elimination of urine. It is a common entity in children, although under-diagnosed in clinical practice, and that, besides representing a risk to the upper urinary tract, causes an emotional embarrassment to parents and children, due to urinary incontinence and frustration in dealing with the problem. The acquisition of daytime urinary continence occurs in most children until age 4 and night, until 5 years of age. After this age, urinary incontinence becomes a social problem. Despite the clinical importance often parents are unaware of the symptoms of this dysfunction. This article aims to address the key issues related to the diagnosis of this dysfunction.
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