Urinary Symptoms and Bladder Voiding Dysfunction Are Common in Young Men with Defecatory Disorders: A Retrospective...

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Gastroenterology
• Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy

Background:

• Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are common in patients with constipation.
• Previous studies on the link between defecatory disorders (DDs) and voiding dysfunction, primarily in women, yielded inconsistent results.
• This study focuses on young men, investigating LUTS prevalence in those with DDs and the association between objectively diagnosed DDs and voiding dysfunction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of LUTS in young men diagnosed with DDs.
• To examine the relationship between objectively confirmed DDs and voiding dysfunction in constipated young men presenting with LUTS.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of medical records for men aged 18-40 with confirmed DDs treated with pelvic floor physical therapy (PT).
• Analysis of data from a separate group of constipated young men with LUTS who underwent high-resolution anorectal manometry (HRM), rectal balloon expulsion test (BET), and uroflowmetry.
• Utilized validated questionnaires and objective diagnostic tests to assess DDs and voiding dysfunction.

Main Results:

• Of 43 men receiving PT for DDs, 82% reported at least one LUTS, most commonly frequent urination.
• Over half of these men showed improvement in LUTS after bowel-directed PT.
• In 29 constipated men with LUTS, 28% had both defecatory and voiding dysfunction. DDs were significantly associated with increased odds of concurrent voiding dysfunction (OR 9.3).

Conclusions:

• The majority of young men with DDs experience LUTS, which can be alleviated by bowel-directed physical therapy.
• The presence of DDs in patients with urinary symptoms significantly increases the likelihood of coexisting voiding dysfunction.