No single reason behind adult lower urinary tract symptoms in patients with posterior urethral valves

Abstract

Objective: To analyze which factors in the history of a posterior urethral valve (PUV) patient relate to lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in adulthood. This study also aimed to evaluate whether the patients have developed signs of a myogenic failure of detrusor.

Materials and methods: LUTS were evaluated with a DAN-PSS questionnaire in 78 adult patients treated for PUV in childhood. Symptom scores (SS) were compared with patient characteristics and types of treatment. The results of uroflowmetry and post-voiding residual (PVR) measurements were collected from their latest visit to Helsinki University Children’s Hospital.

Results: The median total symptom score (TSS) was 1 (IQR = 0–5, range = 0–18). The patient age during the investigation and SS were associated (R = 0.220, p = 0.032), but the primary creatinine level and SS were not (R = 0.260, p = 0.081). The median age for achieving continence was 6.3 years. The SS and the age when becoming continent were not associated (p = 0.365 and p = 0.679, respectively). In the age group of 39 years or more, 19 patients with a previous bladder neck incision (BNI) had a higher storage-SS than 15 patients without any previous bladder neck incision (1 (IQR = 0–5) vs 0 (IQR = 0–0), p = 0.030). According to symptoms and post-voiding residual measurements, myogenic failure in adults seems to be rare.

Conclusions: LUTS are common, but severe symptoms referring to myogenic failure are rare in men treated for PUV in childhood. The specific reasons for LUTS are difficult to indicate and even the sickest children do not necessarily have LUTS in adulthood.

Keywords:

• Lower urinary tract symptoms
• posterior urethral valves
• surveys and questionnaires
• urethral obstruction

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.