Follow-up of female patients complaining of urinary incontinence

Sixty-three of 303 patients complaining of urinary incontinence and referred to hospital for examination were not treated, but followed for a median period of 33 months. Eighteen did not wish for treatment. The remaining were followed either because they had few subjective symptoms or because of concomitant bronchitis, or obesity, or owing to the fact that urinary incontinence could not be demonstrated during the objective examination. The patients were followed in order to offer treatment should this become necessary and to register the spontaneous progress of the condition. Fifteen of the 18 patients not wanting treatment were seen at follow-up and none had changed their minds with regard to treatment. In the other group, only 8 of 35 patients complaining of urinary incontinence without concomitant disease wished to have treatment and required re-evaluation. Urinary incontinence had been verified primarily in four only. The finding underlines the importance of a careful history and emphasizes the fact that patients with slight symptoms and no objective findings of urinary incontinence rarely develop more severe symptoms.