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Transient urodynamic dysfunction of infancy: relationship to urinary tract infections and vesicoureteral reflux
M Chandra1, H Maddix, M McVicar
1Department of Pediatrics, North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, New York, USA.
Insights
Infants with urinary tract infections often have voiding dysfunction, especially males. This condition, termed transient urodynamic dysfunction of infancy, typically improves on its own.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Urology
- Infant Health
- Urodynamics
Background:
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs) and vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) are more prevalent in male infants.
- Voiding dysfunction is a potential underlying cause for these conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate voiding patterns and urodynamic parameters in infants diagnosed with UTIs within their first year of life.
- To identify potential links between voiding dysfunction and the higher incidence of UTIs and VUR in male infants.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated 61 infants (39 male, 22 female) with UTIs.
- Included infants with primary VUR and those without reflux or obstruction.
- Conducted detailed voiding history and urodynamic testing.
Main Results:
- Voiding abnormalities were observed in 97% of males and 77% of females.
- High voiding detrusor pressure (>40 cm H2O) was noted in 92% of males and 66% of females.
- Follow-up urodynamic testing showed spontaneous improvement in most infants.
Conclusions:
- Introduced the term 'transient urodynamic dysfunction of infancy' for these findings.
- This dysfunction predisposes infants to UTIs and VUR but is self-resolving.
- Higher intravesical pressures in males may explain their increased UTI and VUR rates.
Purpose:
Urinary tract infections and vesicoureteral reflux are more common in male than female infants. Since these problems can result from voiding dysfunction, we obtained a detailed history of voiding patterns and urodynamic testing in infants with urinary tract infections in the first year of life.
Materials And Methods:
We evaluated 39 male and 22 female infants, including 40 with primary vesicoureteral reflux and 21 with no reflux or obstruction.
Results:
Voiding abnormalities were noted in 97% of the male and 77% of the female infants, including high voiding detrusor pressure of greater than 40 cm. water in 92% of the male and 66% of the female infants, residual urine greater than 2 ml./kg. in 13% of the male and 23% of the female infants, and detrusor hyperreflexia with filling pressure greater than 40 cm. water in a third of the male infants. Voiding detrusor pressure was significantly higher in male than female infants and in male infants with grade IV to V reflux than those with lower grades of reflux or no reflux. Followup urodynamic testing in 15 infants with high voiding detrusor pressure revealed resolution of detrusor hyperreflexia and improvement in post-void residual in all and decreased voiding detrusor pressure in 14.
Conclusions:
We coined the term transient urodynamic dysfunction of infancy to describe this constellation of abnormalities, which predisposes infants to urinary tract infections and vesicoureteral reflux but improves spontaneously. The higher incidence of urinary tract infections and reflux in male infants may be related to higher intravesical pressures.