Midterm outcomes of protection for upper urinary tract function by augmentation enterocystoplasty in patients with neurogenic bladder

Prediction Value of Bladder Deformity Index for Upper Urinary Tract Damage in Patients With Neurogenic Bladder

AIM

This study aimed to assess the predictive value of the Bladder Deformity Index (BDI) in determining upper urinary tract (UUT) damage among patients with neurogenic bladder (NB).

METHODS

Clinical data of 132 NB patients admitted to the China Rehabilitation Research Center between January 2018 and December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were categorized into UUT damage and normal UUT function groups based on the MRU and ultrasound grading systems for hydronephrosis, patients with the grade greater than or equal to I degree were considered to have UUTD. Patient demographics, biochemical parameters, and video-urodynamics (VUDS) findings were collected, and BDI was calculated. Independent sample t tests were employed to compare general characteristics and VUDS parameters between groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were utilized to evaluate the predictive capability of UUT damage.

RESULTS

The study comprised 132 patients (86 males and 46 females) with an average NB duration of 7.37 ± 9.37 years (range: 0.2-44 years). UUT damage was present in 40.91% (n = 54) of patients. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed between the UUT damage and normal groups in terms of the duration of LUTS (9.98 ± 10.52 vs. 4.83 ± 7.32 years), creatinine levels (135.58 ± 110.51 vs. 57.66 ± 12.26 μmol/L), and BDI (103.28 ± 71.6 vs. 19.23 ± 15.03%). No significant differences were noted in age, bladder volume, or residual urine between the groups (p > 0.05). The AUC for the duration of LUTS, creatinine, and BDI were 0.691, 0.786, and 0.908, respectively, with a BDI Yoden index of 77%.

CONCLUSION

Long-term LUTS, elevated creatinine levels, and high BDI are associated with UUT damage. BDI demonstrates high sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing UUT damage, outperforming creatinine levels and NB duration. Patients with BDI values exceeding 77% are at a heightened risk of UUT damage. BDI facilitates quantitative evaluation of cystography and preliminary evaluation upper and lower urinary tract function in NB patients. Further research is warranted to validate BDI's feasibility in quantifying cystography and diagnosing UUT damage.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This study is retrospective and does not require clinical trial registration.

Applicability of creatinine-based glomerular filtration rate assessment equations to patients with neurogenic bladder

Purpose

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) measured by dynamic renal scintigraphy (Gates method) is used in this study as the standard to investigate the applicability of two creatinine (Cr)-based GFR estimation equations in Chinese patients of different genders, age groups, and GFR stages diagnosed with neurogenic bladder (NB).

Methods

GFR values were measured using 99mTc-DTPA renal dynamic imaging, the new serum creatinine (Cr)-based chronic kidney disease epidemiology collaborative group (CKD-EPI) equation, and the equation for the estimated GFR of CKD patients in China, which were designated as sGFR, EPI-GFR, and cGFR, respectively. Pearson's correlation and linear regression were used to compare the differences, absolute differences, precision, and accuracies of the results of the two equations with sGFR to determine the formula offering better performance for the assessment of patients with NB.

Results

Measurements from a total of 99 patients with NB were used in the final analysis. Both cGFR and EPI-GFR were moderately correlated with sGFR in both men and women. The overall staging accuracies of EPI-GFR and sGFR were significantly higher than that of cGFR. Among the patients staged, only those with GFRs in the range of 60-89 mL/min/1.73 m2 had moderate correlations between cGFR, EPI-GFR, and sGFR, while the remaining patients had low correlations.

Conclusion

Researchers found that the equation developed for Chinese CKD patients performed well for patients with NB aged 20-25 years, while the race-neutral CKD-EPI equation performed better in NB patients aged 26-35 years.

Augmentation Uretero-enterocystoplasty Is an Effective Procedure in Protecting the Upper Urinary Tract Without Accelerating Deterioration of Renal Function

Background

Augmentation uretero-enterocystoplasty (AUEC) provides a low-pressure urinary storage capsule that can preserve renal function in patients with lower urinary tract dysfunction for whom conservative treatments have failed.

Objective

To summarize the effectiveness and safety of augmentation uretero-enterocystoplasty (AUEC) and evaluate whether it aggravates renal function deterioration in patients with renal insufficiency.

Design setting and participants

This was a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent AUEC from 2006 to 2021. Patients were grouped according to whether they had normal renal function (NRF) or renal dysfunction (serum creatinine >1.5 mg/dl).

Outcome measurements and statistical analysis

Follow-up of upper and lower urinary tract function was assessed via review of clinical records, urodynamic data, and laboratory results.

Results and limitations

We included 156 patients in the NRF group and 68 in the renal dysfunction group. We confirmed that urodynamic parameters and upper urinary tract dilation were significantly improved for patients after AUEC. Serum creatinine declined during the first 10 mo in both groups and remained stable thereafter. The reduction in serum creatine was significantly greater in the renal dysfunction group than in the NRF group in the first 10 mo (difference in reduction 4.19 units; p < 0.05). A multivariable regression model showed that baseline renal dysfunction was not a significant risk factor for deterioration of renal function in patients who had undergone AUEC (odds ratio 2.15; p = 0.11). The main limitations are selection bias because of the retrospective design, loss to follow-up, and missing data.

Conclusions

AUEC is a safe and effective procedure to protect the upper urinary tract and will not hasten deterioration of renal function in patients with lower urinary tract dysfunction. In addition, AUEC improved and stabilized residual renal function in patients with renal insufficiency, which is important in preparation for renal transplantation.

Patient summary

Bladder dysfunction is usually treated with medication or Botox injections. If these treatments fail, surgery to increase the bladder size using a portion of the patient's intestine is a possible option. Our study shows that this procedure was safe and feasible and improved bladder function. It did not lead to a further decrease in function in patients who already had impaired kidney function.

The Comparative Effectiveness of Botulinum Toxin-A Injection Therapy Versus Augmentation Uretero-Enterocystoplasty for the Treatment of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction

Purpose: We investigated the effectiveness of intravesical botulinum toxin-A (BTX-A) injection therapy in patients with lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD) and upper urinary tract (UUT) deterioration and evaluated whether BTX-A injection therapy could substitute for augmentation uretero-enterocystoplasty (AUEC).Methods: Data from a prospective, single-center cohort from 2017–2021 were analyzed. Patients were divided into 2 treatment groups: AUEC and BTX-A (i.e., patients who declined AUEC). Bladder and UUT functions were assessed by comparing clinical information, urodynamic data, laboratory results, and imaging records.Results: In total, 121 patients were enrolled (BTX-A group: 41 patients; AUEC group: 80 patients). The BTX-A group showed a reduced maximum detrusor pressure and increases in the maximum bladder volume and bladder compliance (P<0.05). However, in follow-up evaluations, significantly smaller improvements (all P<0.05) in urodynamic parameters were found in the BTX-A group than in the AUEC group. Notably, there was no significant improvement in vesicoureteral reflux (VUR; P=0.66) or upper urinary tract dilatation (UUTD; P=0.75) in the BTX-A group, and no statistically significant difference in serum creatinine (Scr) levels or the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was observed in the follow-up evaluations (all P>0.05). Both VUR and UUTD improved significantly in the AUEC group, and the Scr and eGFR levels significantly improved after AUEC relative to baseline levels (P<0.05). The reduction in the Scr level was significantly lower in the BTX-A group than in the AUEC group during 0–15 months of follow-up (Scr reduction differences, -1.36; P<0.01).Conclusions: Although BTX-A injection therapy was effective for improving bladder function, BTX-A injections did not alleviate UUT deterioration in this study, particularly in patients with advanced-stage LUTD. Conversely, AUEC for LUTD has a well-established role in improving UUT function. Hence, BTX-A injection therapy should not replace AUEC to ameliorate UUT impairment and protect UUT function.

The concerns of mechanical upper urinary tract obstruction in neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction: Beyond augmentation cystoplasty

Purpose

To evaluate the efficacy of augmentation uretero-enterocystoplasty (AUEC), a modified surgical procedure that focuses the mobilization of the ureter and the necessity of ureteroplasty in a series of neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD) patients with mechanical upper urinary tract obstruction (mUUTO).

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of NLUTD patients who underwent an AUEC from 2005 to 2022. mUUTO was diagnosed by preoperative bladder drainage, magnetic resonance urography (MRU), and isotope renography. Upper urinary tract dilatation (UUTD) was evaluated using MRU with the Liao MRU-UUTD system.

Results

A total of 58 patients and 103 ureters were analyzed. Improvement in maximum bladder capacity (from 79.0 [41.3-163.8] to 500.0 [450.0-597.5] ml, P < 0.001), maximum detrusor pressure (from 32.0 [13.0-50.8] to 5.5 [4.0-10.0] cmH₂O, P < 0.001) and bladder compliance (from 6.5 [3.0-11.9] to 50.1 [37.5-65.0] ml/cmH₂O, P < 0.001), and stabilization of serum creatine (93.4 [73.0-142.7] to 94.9 [72.2-148.7] μmol/L, P = 0.886) were observed. The proportion of high-grade UUTD was significantly reduced after the surgery (92.3% vs. 13.5%, 92.1% to 9.8%, P < 0.001), and the typical imaging signs of preoperative obstruction disappeared.

Conclusion

Beyond traditional augmentation cystoplasty, more attention should be paid to the relief of mUUTO and mobilization of the ureter in NLUTD patients.

Reliability assessment of the upper urinary tract dilation grading system based on magnetic resonance urography in patients with neurogenic bladder

Background

To assess the inter-observer and intra-observer reliability of the magnetic resonance urography (MRU)—upper urinary tract dilation (UUTD) grading system.

Methods

A total of 40 patients with a diagnosis of NB were enrolled in this study. The images were assembled in an electronic presentation randomly. The presentations were reviewed and graded by 4 junior and 4 senior urologists. One week later, the images were randomized again and reassessed. The inter-observer reliability was estimated by Kendall’s coefficient of concordance and intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), and the intra-observer reliability was estimated by weighted Cohen’s kappa.

Results

The inter-observer reliability strength was excellent for all urologists, with the ICC value of 0.939 (0.908–0.963) and Kendall’s W value of 0.967. The highest agreement was shown in Grade 4 at 92.50%, and the lowest in Grade 2 at 82.14%. All disagreements were within one grade of difference. Moreover, the Intra-observer reliability was excellent, with the weighted kappa value ranging from 0.904 to 0.954.

Conclusions

The inter-observer and intra-observer reliability of this novel MRU-UUTD grading system is confirmed, providing adequate evidence for broader clinical application.

Upper urinary dilatation and treatment of 26 patients with diabetes insipidus: A single-center retrospective study

OBJECTIVE

To describe the urinary tract characteristics of diabetes insipidus (DI) patients with upper urinary tract dilatation (UUTD) using the video-urodynamic recordings (VUDS), UUTD and all urinary tract dysfunction (AUTD) systems, and to summarize the experience in the treatment of DI with UUTD.

METHODS

This retrospective study analyzed clinical data from 26 patients with DI, including micturition diary, water deprivation tests, imaging data and management. The UUTD and AUTD systems were used to evaluate the urinary tract characteristics. All patients were required to undergo VUDS, neurophysiologic tests to confirm the presence of neurogenic bladder (NB).

RESULTS

VUDS showed that the mean values for bladder capacity and bladder compliance were 575.0 ± 135.1 ml and 51.5 ± 33.6 cmH₂O in DI patients, and 42.3% (11/26) had a post-void residual >100 ml. NB was present in 6 (23.1%) of 26 DI patients with UUTD, and enterocystoplasty was recommended for two patients with poor bladder capacity, compliance and renal impairment. For the 24 remaining patients, medication combined with individualized and appropriate bladder management, including intermittent catheterization, indwelling catheter and regular voiding, achieved satisfactory results. High serum creatinine decreased from 248.0 ± 115.8 μmoI/L to 177.4 ± 92.8 μmoI/L in 12 patients from a population with a median of 108.1 μmoI/L (IQR: 79.9-206.5 μmoI/L). Forty-four dilated ureters showed significant improvement in the UUTD grade, and the median grade of 52 UUTD ureters decreased from 3 to 2.

CONCLUSION

Bladder distension, trabeculation and decreased or absent sensations were common features for DI patients with UUTD. Individualized therapy by medication combined with appropriate bladder management can improve UUTD and renal function in DI patients.

Current Applications and Future Directions of Bioengineering Approaches for Bladder Augmentation and Reconstruction

End-stage neurogenic bladder usually results in the insufficiency of upper urinary tract, requiring bladder augmentation with intestinal tissue. To avoid complications of augmentation cystoplasty, tissue-engineering technique could offer a new approach to bladder reconstruction. This work reviews the current state of bioengineering progress and barriers in bladder augmentation or reconstruction and proposes an innovative method to address the obstacles of bladder augmentation. The ideal tissue-engineered bladder has the characteristics of high biocompatibility, compliance, and specialized urothelium to protect the upper urinary tract and prevent extravasation of urine. Despite that many reports have demonstrated that bioengineered bladder possessed a similar structure to native bladder, few large animal experiments, and clinical applications have been performed successfully. The lack of satisfactory outcomes over the past decades may have become an important factor hindering the development in this field. More studies should be warranted to promote the use of tissue-engineered bladders in clinical practice.

Risk Factors Predicting Upper Urinary Tract Damage in Patients With Myelodysplasia: Data Analysis of 637 Cases From a Single Center

Purpose

To determine the risk factors predicting upper urinary tract (UUT) damage using a grading system for upper urinary tract dilation (UUTD) and a descriptive system for all urinary tract dysfunction (AUTD) in patients with myelodysplasia.

Methods

Six hundred thirty-seven patients with myelodysplasia were evaluated at our center from January 2008 to November 2019. Clinical data, ultrasonography, magnetic resonance urography, and video-urodynamics (VUDS) parameters were collected. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine the risk factors predicting UUT damage.

Results

Three hundred eighty-three males and 254 females were included. The average course of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) was 14.08±7.07 years (range, 3–31 years). The urodynamic diagnoses of all patients were as follows: detrusor overactivity, 26.8%; detrusor underactivity, 6.44%; and acontractile detrusor, 66.72%. UUT damage was determined in 66.56% of the patients. Of the patients, 28.73 % had vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) during filling (bilateral, n=50; unilateral, n=133) on fluoroscopy during VUDS testing. Two hundred thirty-four patients had UUTD (bilateral, n=203; unilateral, n=31). The occurrence of hydronephrosis based on ultrasonography was closely related to ipsilateral VUR (P<0.05). Absent of bladder sensation, long-term course of LUTS, decreased maximum cystometric capacity (MCC) and bladder compliance (BC), and increased postvoid residual urine (PVR) were shown to be independent risk factors in logistic regression analysis.

Conclusions

This retrospective study using UUTD and AUTD systems indicated that patients with myelodysplasia have a high incidence of UUT damage. Absence of bladder sensation, long-term course of LUTS, decreased MCC and BC, and increased PVR were independent risk factors predicting UUT damage.

Effectiveness and Complications of Augmentation Cystoplasty with or without Nonrefluxing Ureteral Reimplantation in Patients with Bladder Dysfunction: A Single Center 11-Year Experience

PURPOSE

We reviewed our experience with the effectiveness and complications of augmentation cystoplasty with or without nonrefluxing ureteral reimplantation in adult patients with long-standing bladder dysfunction.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the records of 173 patients who underwent augmentation cystoplasty with or without ureteral reimplantation at our center from July 2005 to July 2016. Clinical data, and magnetic resonance urography and videourodynamic parameters were collected. Upper urinary tract dilatation and vesicoureteral reflux grading systems were used to evaluate upper urinary tract function. Postoperative complications were evaluated.

RESULTS

Ureteral reimplantation was performed in 160 patients (266 ureteral units) and 120 ureteral units were simultaneously managed by tailoring and/or ureterolysis. Mean followup was 44.4 months (range 3 to 108). Mean maximum bladder capacity and bladder compliance significantly increased (p <0.0001), and maximum detrusor pressure and serum creatinine decreased compared with preoperative levels (p <0.05). Upper urinary tract dilatation and vesicoureteral reflux significantly improved after surgery. Postoperative complications included persistent vesicoureteral reflux in 1 patient (0.6%), anastomotic stricture in 14 ureteral units (5.3%), bowel dysfunction in 11 patients (6.4%), a need for laparotomy in 4 (2.3%), urinary tract stone in 15 (8.7%) and deteriorating renal function in 9 (5.2%).

CONCLUSIONS

This retrospective study indicates that ureteral reimplantation concomitant with augmentation cystoplasty may be beneficial in patients with low pressure or high grade vesicoureteral reflux, ureterovesical junction obstruction or ureteral tortuosity, and adhesions and/or severe upper urinary tract dilatation, especially in those with a long medical history.

Augmentation enterocystoplasty without reimplantation for patients with neurogenic bladder and vesicoureteral reflux

The objective of this study was to assess the clinical outcome of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) after augmentation cystoplasty alone in patients with a hypocompliant neurogenic bladder. Between January 2009 and December 2014, 29 patients with a hypocompliant bladder associated with VUR confirmed by videourodynamics (VUD) preoperatively were recruited in this study. All patients had undergone bladder augmentation with a generous detubularized segment of bowel at our institution. No effort had been made to correct the existing reflux. Preoperative assessment included urinalysis, kidney function tests, ultrasonography, and videourodynamic evaluation. All patients had various degrees of VUR. The status of VUR and bladder function were studied by VUD. The mean follow-up period was 2.2 years (range 0.5-5.5 years). The VUD manifested a significant improvement of bladder capacity, diminution of intravesical pressure, and resolution of reflux after bladder augmentation. After the surgery, 24/29 (83%) no longer had reflux, 3/29 (10%) showed improvement in reflux, and 2/29 (7%) demonstrated no change in reflux. In addition, 16/21 (76%) patients had reflux Grades I-III; 100% patients with reflux Grades IV and V had complete cessation of reflux. Only one patient had symptomatic urinary infection after the surgery. Augmentation enterocystoplasty without ureteral reimplantation is thus effective and adequate for patients with high-pressure and hypocompliant neurogenic bladder. Therefore, ureteral reimplantation is not necessary when augmentation enterocystoplasty is recommended for patients with high-pressure, low-compliant bladder and VUR.

Evaluation and Management of Neurogenic Bladder: What Is New in China?

Neurogenic bladder (NB) or neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD), a dysfunction of the urinary bladder and urethra due to disease of the central nervous system or peripheral nerves, is a major global medical and social problem. Numerous nervous system abnormalities, such as: stroke, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, traumatic spinal cord injury, spinal cord tumors, congenital spina bifida, and diabetes, can cause NB/NLUTD. There are two major types of bladder control problems associated with NB/NLUTD: the bladder becomes either overactive or underactive depending on the nature, level, and extent of nerve damage. This review specifically focuses on the diagnosis and management of NB/NLUTD in China as well as on recent efforts to treat this disease.