[Clean intermittent catheterization in neurogenic bladder patients with vesicoureteral reflux]

For neurogenic bladder (NGB) patients with vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), renal deterioration constitutes a primary threat to survival. Although anti-reflux surgery for those patients was reported to be effective, the efficacy of clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) in such patients still remains to be clarified.

Sixteen neurogenic bladder patients with VUR were treated with CIC. Eight of them had spina bifida and 3 had radical hysterectomy for uterine cancer. Other 5 patients had spinal cord injury, spondyrocace, measles encephalopathy, and 2 unknown diseases, respectively. Hyperactive bladder was noted in 11 patients, whereas hypoactive bladder was noted in 3. Three patients were not evaluated.

VUR was improved in only 3 patients (3 ureters), whose VUR grades were not more than III. Nine patients (13 ureters) had to have antireflux surgery. Although 3 of them needed bladder augmentation afterwards, the success rate of the antireflux surgery was 84.6%.

We concluded that CIC alone was not effective to control VUR in neurogenic bladder patients. Nevertheless, CIC remained a good treatment option when VUR was managed surgically.