Urodynamic Findings and Renal Function in Children with Neurogenic Bladder after Myelomeningocele

Myelomeningocele (MMC) is a congenital central nervous system malformation caused by a failure of the neurulation process in early pregnancy. Patients with MMC present many abnormalities and the nervous, skeletal and urinary systems are the most affected. The aim of this study was to clinically evaluate patients with MMC, estimate renal and lower urinary tract (LUT) function and to ascertain whether urodynamic findings can predict the deterioration of urinary tract function.

Medical records of 112 patients were gathered from a database and evaluated retrospectively. The data included age, sex, BMI Z-score WHO, physical activity, urodynamic parameters and diagnosis and renal function.

A total of 112 patients with MMC were enrolled in the study. There were no differences in age, sex, BMI Z-score WHO, physical activity, renal function and urodynamic findings (apart from cystometric capacity) between boys and girls. Detrusor overactivity was the most frequent urodynamic diagnosis in all groups of physical activity, level of lesion and in catheterized and non-catheterized children. The correlations between urodynamic findings and renal function tests were found.

Patients with neurogenic bladder after MMC most often present detrusor overactivity. LUT function is disturbed in all MMC patients independent of lesion level and physical activity.