Urodynamic studies in the evaluation of young men presenting with lower urinary tract symptoms

Management of Primary Bladder Neck Obstruction and Dysfunctional Voiding in Young Men: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Management of young men with primary bladder neck obstruction (PBNO) and dysfunctional voiding (DV) is challenging. We systematically reviewed evidence on diagnostic strategies and treatment outcomes in men aged 18-50 yr with PBNO or DV.

METHODS

We conducted a comprehensive bibliographic search on the Embase, Medline, and Cochrane Library databases in July 2024.

KEY FINDINGS AND LIMITATIONS

Twenty-five publications were identified. Videourodynamics represents the standard diagnostic approach. Standard therapies for PBNO include alpha-blockers (ABs) as the first-line approach and bladder neck incision (BNI) in patients failing medical therapy. Pooled estimates of total International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax) improvements at 3 mo in patients receiving ABs are 7.0 points and 4.0 ml/s, respectively. The incidence of ejaculatory dysfunction (EjD) and failure rates range from 47% to 50% and from 23% to 52%, respectively. Corresponding figures in patients undergoing surgery are 11.2 points, 6.9 ml/s, 0-88.8%, and 11.1-13.3%, respectively. OnabotulinumtoxinA, as experimental second-line therapy in PBNO, provides 2-mo mean total IPSS and mean Qmax improvements of 14.1 points and 9.1 ml/s, respectively, with a 0% EjD rate. However, improvements deteriorate over time. Behavioral modifications plus biofeedback represent the only approach in patients with DV, providing symptom improvement of at least 50% in 83% of patients at 3 mo. Limits of evidence include few studies, mainly retrospective design, heterogeneous populations, small sample sizes, lack of direct comparisons, and short follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Diagnosis of PBNO/DV in young men requires the integration of anatomical and functional data. ABs represent the first-line approach for PBNO followed by BNI in cases of failure. Behavioral modification plus biofeedback represents the only strategy tested for DV. Given the low quality of evidence, a shared decision-making approach for diagnosis and treatment is required.

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist ITE reduces inflammation and urinary dysfunction in a mouse model of autoimmune prostatitis

OBJECTIVES

Prostate inflammation is linked to lower urinary tract dysfunction and is a key factor in chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Autoimmunity was recently identified as a driver of prostate inflammation. Agonists of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), a ligand-activated transcription factor, have been used to suppress autoimmunity in mouse models of colitis, rhinitis, and dermatitis, but whether AHR agonists suppress prostate autoimmunity has not been examined. Here, we test whether ITE (2-(1'H-indole-3'-carbonyl)-thiazole-4-carboxylic acid methyl ester), an AHR agonist, suppresses inflammation, allodynia, and urinary dysfunction in a mouse model of experimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP).

METHODS

C57BL/6J adult male mice were immunized with rat prostate antigen to induce EAP or TiterMax Gold® adjuvant (uninflamed control). Mice were also treated with ITE (10 mg/kg/day IP) or DMSO (vehicle, 5 mg/kg/day IP) for 6 days. Using the Nanostring nCounter Inflammation Panel, we evaluated the impact of EAP and ITE on prostatic RNA abundance. We validated EAP and ITE-mediated changes in a subset of RNAs by RT-PCR and RNAScope in situ RNA detection.

RESULTS

EAP appeared to heighten histological inflammation in the dorsal prostate, induced tactile allodynia, and appeared to increase the frequency of non-voiding bladder contractions. ITE mitigated some actions of EAP. EAP changed abundance of 40 inflammation-related RNAs, while ITE changed abundance of 28 inflammation-related RNAs. We identified a cluster of RNAs for which ITE protected against EAP-induced changes in the abundance of H2-Ab1, S100a8, and S100a9. ITE also increased the abundance of the AHR-responsive Cyp1a1 RNA.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings support the hypothesis that ITE activates the AHR in the prostate and reduces autoimmune-mediated prostatitis in mice.

Association between chronic prostatitis and the subsequent benign prostatic hyperplasia: a population-based national cohort study

PURPOSE

To explore the association between chronic prostatitis (CP) and the subsequent development of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

METHODS

Data analyzed were medical claims of Taiwan's National Health Insurance program. From 2010 to 2017, 3571 patients ≧20 years with CP diagnosed by certified urologists were enrolled. Patients with past BPH diagnosis and diagnosis of prostate cancer, inguinal hernia, interstitial cystitis, and urethritis in the past and within one year after the first CP diagnosis were excluded. Age-matched controls were randomly selected from all non-CP individuals of the same exclusion criteria in the study period with a CP/non-CP ratio of 1:4. The follow-up was made from the first CP diagnosis to death or the end of 2018. The endpoint was the newly diagnosed BPH. Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of BPH in association with CP.

RESULTS

Over a maximum of 8 years of follow-up, 287 (8.03%) and 258 (0.43%) BPH events were noted for the CP and non-CP group, respectively, representing a covariate adjusted HR (aHR) of 4.30 (95% CI, 3.61-5.13). Younger patients tended to suffer from higher aHRs, especially those aged 20-39 years (aHR: 11.45, 95% CI, 5.12-25.64).

CONCLUSION

The Taiwan national health database indicated that CP patients had a significantly higher risk of developing BPH later than non-CP patients. Interestingly, the younger the CP is diagnosed (under 40), the greater the risk.

Should we routinely assess psychological morbidities in idiopathic lower urinary tract dysfunction: ICI-RS 2019?

AIMS

Psychological morbidities play a major role in idiopathic lower urinary tract dysfunction (iLUTD). The aim of the Think Tank (TT) was to discuss the relevance of psychological morbidities in idiopathic LUTD over the life span, including overactive bladder (OAB) or dysfunctional voiding (DV) and methods of assessment.

METHODS

The paper is based on a selective review of the literature and in-depth discussions, leading to research recommendations regarding the assessment of psychological morbidities in iLUTD on children and adults held during the TT of the International Consultation on Incontinence Research Society in 2019.

RESULTS

Psychological comorbidities affect the health behaviors and treatment outcomes in patients with iLUTD. Both clinically relevant comorbid mental disorders, as well as subclinical psychological symptoms have a major impact and negatively influence incontinence treatment. Research is needed to elucidate mechanisms underlying iLUTD and psychological comorbidities. Clinical studies are needed to determine how perception generation and cognition impacts on the relationship of urinary perceptions, symptoms, and objective urodynamic function. Due to high psychological comorbidity rates, screening with validated, generic questionnaires for emotional and behavioral disorders in children with nocturnal enuresis, daytime urinary incontinence, and fecal incontinence is recommended. Brief screening is recommended for all adults with iLUTD, especially with OAB and DV, who are refractory to treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Due to the high rate and relevance in clinical practice, screening for psychological comorbidities is recommended for all age groups. The research recommendations of this TT may be followed to improve the assessment of psychological morbidities in iLUTD.

Do functional changes occur in the bladder due to bladder outlet obstruction? - ICI-RS 2018

Studies on bladder dysfunction (BD), more specifically functional‐urodynamic changes in the bladder as a result of bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) have been summarized for this TT. Based on available, but limited evidence from human studies a three‐stage model can be hypothesized to characterize BOO‐induced bladder remodeling: hypertrophy, compensation (increased detrusor contractility during the voiding phase, often in combination with filling phase detrusor overactivity) followed by the phase of decompensation [detrusor underactivity]. The time between the start of compensation and eventual decompensation seems to be determined by age of onset, severity, and type of obstruction and clinical mitigating factors such as vascular and metabolic problems. Understanding the relative contributions of these factors may allow the development of personalized timelines and probabilities for these obstructed patients.

Chronic lower urinary tract symptoms in young men without symptoms of chronic prostatitis: urodynamic analyses in 308 men aged 50 years or younger

Purpose

We investigated the etiologies of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and compared urodynamic characteristics between different diagnostic groups in young men with chronic LUTS.

Materials and Methods

We reviewed the medical records of 308 men aged 18 to 50 years who had undergone a urodynamic study for chronic LUTS (≥6 months) without symptoms suggestive of chronic prostatitis.

Results

The men's mean age was 40.4 (±10.1) years and their mean duration of symptoms was 38.8 (±49.2) months. Urodynamic evaluation demonstrated voiding phase dysfunction in 62.1% of cases (primary bladder neck dysfunction [PBND] in 26.0%, dysfunctional voiding [DV] in 23.4%, and detrusor underactivity [DU]/acontractile detrusor [AD] in 12.7%) and a single storage phase dysfunction in 36.4% of cases (detrusor overactivity [DO] in 13.3%, small cystometric capacity in 17.9%, and reduced bladder sensation in 5.2%). Most of the demographic characteristics and clinical symptoms did not differ between these diagnostic groups. Whereas 53.9% of patients with voiding dysfunction had concomitant storage dysfunction, 69.6% of those with storage dysfunction had concomitant voiding dysfunction. Men with DV or DU/AD exhibited lower maximum cystometric capacity than did those with normal urodynamics. Low bladder compliance was most frequent among patients with PBND (10.0%, p=0.025). In storage dysfunctions, men with DO exhibited higher detrusor pressure during voiding than did those with other storage dysfunctions (p<0.01).

Conclusions

Because clinical symptoms are not useful for predicting the specific urodynamic etiology of LUTS in this population, urodynamic investigation can help to make an accurate diagnosis and, potentially, to guide appropriate treatment.

Urodynamic characterization of lower urinary tract symptoms in men less than 40 years of age

PURPOSE

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in young men are becoming a more recognized urologic issue that can arise from many causes, each with their own management strategy. The purpose of this study was to determine the rates and types of voiding dysfunction causing LUTS in men under 40 years.

METHODS

Videourodynamic studies (VUDS) of 87 men 40 years of age or less with LUTS for greater than 6 months, performed between July 2004 and June 2012 at Weill Cornell Medical College, were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with culture-proven bacterial prostatitis, symptoms for less than 6 months, a history of neurologic disease, or previous urological surgery affecting voiding function were excluded from the analysis.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients was 31.84 ± 5.78. There were 37 patients that presented with more than one urinary symptom (42.5 %). The most frequent complaints included: urinary frequency (N = 42, 48.28 %), difficulty with urination (N = 41, 47.13 %), and urinary urgency (N = 21, 24.14 %). The most common urodynamic abnormality was bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) (N = 37, 42.53 %), dysfunctional voiding (N = 25, 28.74 %), detrusor underactivity (N = 10, 11.49 %), and detrusor overactivity (N = 7, 8.05 %). There were no differences seen in AUA symptom and quality of life scores across diagnosis groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Lower urinary tract symptoms can present in younger men with a variety of types of voiding dysfunction. This study uses VUDS to show that the most common types of voiding dysfunction in this population with chronic LUTS are BOO followed by dysfunctional voiding.

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome: role of alpha blocker therapy

INTRODUCTION

This article reviews the rationale and data supporting alpha blocker therapy for chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS), the most common and difficult prostatitis syndrome.

METHODS

Systematic review identified ten clinical trials evaluating alpha blocker therapy for patients with CP/CPPS, including five open-label or small prospective studies and five double-blinded and placebo-controlled clinical trials.

RESULTS

Encouraging results in uncontrolled and small clinical trials led to the development of reasonably powered, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trials evaluating terazosin, doxazosin, tamsulosin, and alfuzosin.

CONCLUSIONS

Current data suggest that treatment-naïve and/or newly diagnosed patients appear more likely to respond than long-term, chronic refractory patients. Longer courses of treatment (12 weeks to 6 months) appear superior to shorter courses, and less selective agents appear superior to more selective alpha1 blockers. These observations outline important questions that must be answered to define optimal treatment strategies for patients with CP/CPPS.

Mechanisms of disease: involvement of the urothelium in bladder dysfunction

Although the urinary bladder urothelium has classically been thought of as a passive barrier to ions and solutes, a number of novel properties have been recently attributed to urothelial cells. Studies have revealed that the urothelium is involved in sensory mechanisms (i.e. the ability to express a number of sensor molecules or respond to thermal, mechanical and chemical stimuli) and can release chemical mediators. Localization of afferent nerves next to the urothelium suggests that urothelial cells could be targets for neurotransmitters released from bladder nerves or that chemicals released by urothelial cells could alter afferent nerve excitability. Taken together, these and other findings highlighted in this article suggest a sensory function for the urothelium. Elucidation of mechanisms that influence urothelial function might provide insights into the pathology of bladder dysfunction.