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We characterize patients with urinary urgency with vs without urgency urinary incontinence who presented to clinics actively seeking treatment for their symptoms.Participants who enrolled in the Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network were categorized into urinary urgency with vs without urgency urinary incontinence. Participants were followed for 1 year; their urinary symptoms, urological pain, psychosocial factors, bowel function, sleep disturbance, physical activity levels, physical function, and quality of life were compared. Mixed effects linear regression models were used to examine the relationships between urgency urinary incontinence and these factors.Among 683 participants with urinary urgency at baseline, two-thirds (n=453) also had urgency urinary incontinence; one-third (n=230) had urinary urgency-only without urgency urinary incontinence. No differences were detected in urological pain between urinary urgency-only and urgency urinary incontinence. Those with urgency urinary incontinence had more severe urgency and frequency symptoms, higher depression, anxiety, perceived stress scores, more severe bowel dysfunction and sleep disturbance, lower physical activity levels, lower physical function, and worse quality of life than those with urinary urgency-only. Among those with urinary urgency-only at baseline, 40% continued to have urinary urgency-only, 15% progressed to urgency urinary incontinence, and 45% had no urgency at 12 months. Fifty-eight percent with urgency urinary incontinence at baseline continued to report urgency urinary incontinence at 12 months, while 15% improved to urinary urgency-only, and 27% had no urgency.Patients with urgency urinary incontinence have severe storage symptoms, more psychosocial symptoms, poorer physical functioning, and worse quality of life. Our data suggested urgency urinary incontinence may be a more severe manifestation of urinary urgency, rather than urinary urgency and urgency urinary incontinence being distinct entities.

The impact of nonurological factors on male lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) remains unclear. We investigated cross-sectional and longitudinal associations among anxiety, depression, physical function, sleep quality and urinary symptom subdomains.Data from 518 men in the LURN (Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network) study were analyzed to identify associations between Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System® (PROMIS®) depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance and physical function measures and LUTS subdomains, as derived from the American Urological Association Symptom Index and LUTS Tool. Multivariable linear regression was used to assess the relationships between PROMIS measures and LUTS subdomains at baseline and at 3- and 12-month followup.Baseline depression and anxiety were associated with urinary incontinence (p0.001), voiding symptoms (p0.001) and quality of life (p=0.002), whereas baseline sleep disturbance was associated with voiding and storage symptoms and quality of life (p0.001 for all). Urinary symptom severity improved in all subdomains at 3 and 12 months. Similar associations between PROMIS measures and LUTS subdomains were observed at all time points, but baseline depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance and physical function measures were not associated with longitudinal trajectories of LUTS.Urinary symptom subdomains are independently associated with modifiable clinical variables including sleep quality and depression at all time points, but these variables do not predict the degree of improvement in LUTS following urological evaluation and treatment over the medium term. Bidirectional assessment and randomized experiments may improve our understanding of these relationships.

We identified urothelial tract biopsy and resection specimens with keratinizing squamous metaplasia (KSM), nonkeratinizing squamous metaplasia (NKSM), and urothelial and squamous carcinomas over a 20-yr period, focusing on cases with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD) and/or those with spatial or temporal variation in sampling. TERT promoter mutations as assessed via allele-specific polymerase chain reaction were surprisingly common in our testing cohort, identified not only in 15 (94%) invasive cancer foci but also in 13 (68%) examples of KSM and seven (70%) examples of NKSM. TERT promoter mutations were present in 23 foci from NLUTD specimens and 11 foci from bladder diverticula, including in foci of KSM, NKSM, and unremarkable urothelium from cases with no clinical association with previous, concurrent, or subsequent cancer. Our demonstration of temporally and spatially persistent TERT promoter mutation in examples of KSM and NKSM in cases of bladder cancer and in morphologically benign cases with neurogenic dysfunction suggests a molecular mechanism by which such pre-neoplastic lesions can potentially progress and develop into overt carcinoma. Given the interest in TERT promoter mutations as a potential biomarker for the development of bladder cancer, these findings possibly explain the association between conditions with chronic urinary bladder injury (such as the natural history of NLUTD) and higher risk of bladder cancer. TERT promoter mutations may represent an early event in bladder cancer tumorogenesis, and our findings expand on the clinical ramifications and predictive value of TERT promoter mutations in this context. Patient summary Mutations in the TERT gene are the most common genetic changes in bladder cancer. We found that these mutations are also sometimes present in patients with chronic bladder irritation such as neurogenic bladder dysfunction and changes to the lining of the bladder that pathologists would consider “benign.” This finding might explain why such conditions are associated with the development of bladder cancer.

Objective This study investigated factors influencing surgical decision-making (DM) to treat neurogenic bladder and bowel (NBB) dysfunction for veterans and civilians with spinal cord injury (SCI) in the United States (US). Design Semi-structured interviews complemented by survey measures. Setting Community-dwelling participants who received treatment at a major Midwestern US medical system, a nearby Veterans Affairs (VA) facility, and other VA sites around the US. Participants Eighteen participants with SCI who underwent surgeries; completed semi-structured interviews and survey measures. Interventions Not applicable. Outcomes measures Semi-structured interviews were coded to reflect factors, DM enactment, and outcomes, including surgery satisfaction and quality of life (QOL). Quantitative measures included COMRADE, Ways of Coping Questionnaire, Bladder and Bowel Treatment Inventory, PROMIS Global Health and Cognitive Abilities scales, and SCI-QOL Bladder and Bowel short form. Results Themes identified about factors influencing DM included: recurrent symptoms and complications; balancing dissatisfaction with NBB management against surgery risks; achieving independence and life style adjustments; participant's driven solutions; support and guidance and trust in doctors; and access and barriers to DM. DM enactment varied across surgeries and individuals, revealing no clear patterns. Most participants were satisfied with the surgery outcomes. Some differences in demographics were observed between veterans and civilians. Conclusions We have attempted to illustrate the process of NBB DM as individuals move from factors to enactment to outcomes. Attending to the complexity of the DM process through careful listening and clear communication will allow clinicians to better assist patients in making surgical decisions about NBB management.

The clinician treating patients with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD) needs to balance a variety of factors when making treatment decisions. In addition to the patient's urologic symptoms and urodynamic findings, other issues that may influence management options of the lower urinary tract include cognition, hand function, type of neurologic disease, mobility, bowel function/management, and social and caregiver support. This Guideline allows the clinician to understand the options available to treat patients, understand the findings that can be seen in NLUTD, and appreciate which options are best for each individual patient. This allows for decisions to be made with the patient, in a shared decision-making manner, such that the patient's quality of life can be optimized with respect to their bladder management.A comprehensive search for studies assessing patients undergoing evaluation, surveillance, management, or follow-up for NLUTD was conducted from January 2001 through October 2017 and was rerun in February 2021 to capture newer literature. The primary search returned 20,496 unique citations. Following a title and abstract screen, full texts were obtained for 3,036 studies. During full-text review, studies were primarily excluded for not meeting the PICO criteria. One hundred eight-four primary literature studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the evidence base.This guideline was developed to inform clinicians on the proper evaluation, diagnosis, and risk stratification of patients with NLUTD and the non-surgical and surgical treatment options available. Additional statements on urinary tract infection and autonomic dysreflexia were developed to guide the clinician. This Guideline is for adult patients with NLUTD and pediatric NLUTD will not be discussed.NLUTD patients should be risk-stratified as either low-, moderate-, high-, or unknown-risk. After diagnosis and stratification, patients should be monitored according to their level of risk at regular intervals. Patients who experience new or worsening signs and symptoms should be reevaluated and risk stratification should be repeated.

Limited epidemiological data exist describing how patients engage with various treatments for overactive bladder (OAB). To improve care for patients with OAB, it is essential to gain a better understanding of how patients interface with OAB treatments longitudinally, that is, how often patients change treatments and the pattern of this treatment change in terms of escalation and de-escalation.To describe treatment patterns for women with bothersome urinary urgency (UU) and/or urgency urinary incontinence (UUI) presenting to specialty care over 1 year.The Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network (LURN) study enrolled adult women with bothersome UU and/or UUI seeking care for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) between January 2015 and September 2016. An ordinal logistic regression model was fitted to describe the probabilities of escalating or de-escalating level of treatment during 1-year follow-up.Among 349 women, 281 reported UUI and 68 reported UU at baseline. At the end of 1 year of treatment by a urologist or urogynecologist, the highest level of treatment received by participants was 5% expectant management, 36% behavioral treatments (BT), 26% physical therapy (PT), 26% OAB medications, 1% percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation, 3% intradetrusor onabotulinum toxin A injection, and 3% sacral neuromodulation. Participants using BT or PT at baseline were more likely to be de-escalated to no treatment than participants on OAB medications at baseline, who tended to stay on medications. Predictors of the highest level of treatment included starting level of treatment, hypertension, UUI severity, stress urinary incontinence, and anticholinergic burden score.Treatment patterns for UU and UUI are diverse. Even for patients with significant bother from OAB presenting to specialty clinics, further treatment often only involves conservative or medical therapies. This study highlights the need for improved treatment algorithms to escalate patients with persistent symptoms, or to adjust care in those who have been unsuccessfully treated.

Caffeine has long been vilified as a cause for urinary urgency incontinence (UUI) along with other potential bladder irritants such as carbonation, alcohol, and acidic juices. The objective of this study was to assess the fluid intake behavior of people with urgency, UUI, and those with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) without UUI or urgency to assess if they avoided certain potential bladder irritants or had different fluid intake. We hypothesized that patients with UUI would avoid caffeine as a self-management method more so than these other two groups.Treatment-seeking men and women with LUTS in the Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network (LURN) Observational Cohort study completed a baseline 3-day voiding and intake diary. "Complete" diaries had 3 days of data and no missing intake or voided volumes. Beverages with any caffeine, alcohol, carbonation, or acidic juice were identified and the total volume was recorded as well as the type of beverage containing caffeine to calculate the daily caffeine dose.Four hundred and ninety-one participants (277 men and 214 women) with a median age of 63 had complete diaries. Urinary urgency was more prevalent in women than men (79% vs. 55%, p 0.0001) as was UUI (84% vs. 47%, p 0.0001). Total fluid intake over 3 days was lower among the urgency group versus the nonurgency group (median [interquartile range] 5.2 [4.0-6.8] L vs. 5.7 [4.3-7.0] L, p = 0.028) and the UUI group compared to the urgency without incontinence group were less likely to consume alcohol (26% vs. 37%, p = 0.04). After adjusting for sex, BMI, age, and total intake volume, UUI participants had 54% lower odds of consuming any caffeine (odds ratio = 0.46, 95% confidence interval = 0.22-0.96, p = 0.04) than those without incontinence, but among those that did consume caffeine, no difference in the volume of caffeinated beverages or milligrams of caffeine consumed was detected between those with UUI and those with urgency without incontinence. No difference in carbonation or acidic juice intake was detected between groups.Individuals with urgency consume a lower volume of fluid than those without urgency. UUI participants more often abstain from caffeine, but among those that consume caffeine, the dose is similar to those without UUI. One explanation for these results is that only a subset of individuals with urgency or UUI are caffeine sensitive.

Bladder diaries are a key source of information about lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS); however, many patients do not complete them as instructed. Questionnaire-based patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are another option for reporting LUTS but may have recall bias. We assessed the strength of the associations between PROMs and a 3-day bladder diary.Symptomatic adults from 6 tertiary care sites completed a 3-day paper bladder diary and 3-, 7-, and 30-day electronic PROMs. We assessed the linear associations between mapped pairs of diary variables and responses to PROM items using biserial and polyserial correlation coefficients with 95% confidence intervals.Of 290 enrolled participants, 175 (60%) completed the bladder diary as instructed and at least one corresponding PROM. Linear associations were strongest between the diary and 3-day recall of daytime frequency (r = 0.75) and nighttime frequency (r = 0.69), followed by voids with urgency sensations (r = 0.62), and an item reporting any incontinence (r = 0.56). Linear associations between bladder diary and specific incontinence variables (e.g., stress, urgency) were low to negligible (ranging from r = 0.16-0.39). Linear associations were consistent across the 3-, 7-, and 30-day recall periods.Missing and unusable bladder diary data were common, highlighting the patient burden associated with this method of data collection. A questionnaire-based PROM is a reasonable alternative to a diary for reporting voiding frequency and may offer an easier option for reporting some symptoms.

Aim Female urethral stricture disease is rare and has several surgical approaches including endoscopic dilations (ENDO), urethroplasty with local vaginal tissue flap (ULT) or urethroplasty with free graft (UFG). This study aims to describe the contemporary management of female urethral stricture disease and to evaluate the outcomes of these three surgical approaches. Methods This is a multi-institutional, retrospective cohort study evaluating operative treatment for female urethral stricture. Surgeries were grouped into three categories: ENDO, ULT, and UFG. Time from surgery to stricture recurrence by surgery type was analyzed using a Kaplan-Meier time to event analysis. To adjust for confounders, a Cox proportional hazard model was fit for time to stricture recurrence. Results Two-hundred and ten patients met the inclusion criteria across 23 sites. Overall, 64% (n = 115/180) of women remained recurrence free at median follow-up of 14.6 months (IQR, 3-37). In unadjusted analysis, recurrence-free rates differed between surgery categories with 68% ENDO, 77% UFG and 83% ULT patients being recurrence free at 12 months. In the Cox model, recurrence rates also differed between surgery categories; women undergoing ULT and UFG having had 66% and 49% less risk of recurrence, respectively, compared to those undergoing ENDO. When comparing ULT to UFG directly, there was no significant difference of recurrence. Conclusion This retrospective multi-institutional study of female urethral stricture demonstrates that patients undergoing endoscopic management have a higher risk of recurrence compared to those undergoing either urethroplasty with local flap or free graft.

Neurogenic sphincter dysfunction in females will be discussed with reference to both foundational and contemporary research with an emphasis on tools for urologic management. The article will focus on both conservative and surgical options for patients broadly characterized with underactive or overactive sphincter dysfunction. There is limited recently published prospective data to guide management; however, there exist several insightful retrospective studies to guide practice. The bulk of literature for the management of sphincter dysfunction for this complex patient population remains retrospective, and choice of intervention continues to rely upon individual patient characteristics and goals of care to maintain safety and quality of life.

Urinary incontinence is common after radical prostatectomy. Pelvic floor muscle training provides a plausible solution. Although early trials provided promising results, systematic reviews have questioned the efficacy of this intervention. A major consideration is that most clinical trials in men have applied principles developed for pelvic floor muscle training for stress urinary incontinence in women, despite differences in anatomy between sexes and differences in the mechanisms for continence/incontinence. Literature regarding continence control in men has been conflicting and often based on erroneous anatomy. New understanding of continence mechanisms in men, including the complex contribution of multiple layers of striated pelvic floor muscles, and detailed consideration of the impact of radical prostatectomy on continence anatomy and physiology, have provided foundations for a new approach to pelvic floor muscle training to prevent and treat incontinence after prostatectomy.An approach to training can be designed to target the pathophysiology of incontinence. This approach relies on principles of motor learning and exercise physiology, in a manner that is tailored to the individual patient. The aims of this review are to consider new understanding of continence control in men, the mechanisms for incontinence after radical prostatectomy, and to review the characteristics of a pelvic floor muscle training program designed to specifically target recovery of continence after prostatectomy. . Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Objective: To provide an overview of clinical assessments and diagnostic tools, self-report measures (SRMs) and data sets used in neurogenic bladder and bowel (NBB) dysfunction and recommendations for their use with persons with spinal cord injury /disease (SCI/D). Methods: Experts in SCI/D conducted literature reviews, compiled a list of NBB related assessments and measures, reviewed their psychometric properties, discussed their use in SCI/D and issued recommendations for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Common Data Elements (CDEs) guidelines. Results: Clinical assessments included 15 objective tests and diagnostic tools for neurogenic bladder and 12 for neurogenic bowel. Following a two-phase evaluation, eight SRMs were selected for final review with the Qualiveen and Short-Form (SF) Qualiveen and the Neurogenic Bowel Dysfunction Score (NBDS) being recommended as supplemental, highly-recommended due to their strong psychometrics and extensive use in SCI/D. Two datasets and other SRM measures were recommended as supplemental. Conclusion: There is no one single measure that can be used to assess NBB dysfunction across all clinical research studies. Clinical and diagnostic tools are here recommended based on specific medical needs of the person with SCI/D. Following the CDE for SCI studies guidelines, we recommend both the SF-Qualiveen for bladder and the NBDS for bowel as relatively short measures with strong psychometrics. Other measures are also recommended. A combination of assessment tools (objective and subjective) to be used jointly across the spectrum of care seems critical to best capture changes related to NBB and develop better treatments.

PURPOSE: We aimed to characterize the urinary microbiome of catheterizing patients with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD) and to evaluate differences based on type of bladder management or frequency of urinary tract infections. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a prospective, cross-sectional study of urine samples from asymptomatic, catheterizing patients with (NLUTD) who used either clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) or indwelling catheters. Patients without symptoms of urinary tract infection provided a catheterized urine sample for urinalysis, culture, and bacterial community microbiome analysis. RESULTS: Ninety-five patients submitted urine for analysis, of these 69 had sufficient sequence reads (>1203) for microbiome analysis. Patients with low bacterial signal amplification were associated with use of vaginal estrogen, no intradetrusor botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) use, and no growth on standard urine culture. The most abundant operational taxonomic units (OTU) were from the phylum Proteobacteria, classified as Enterobacteriaceae and Escherichia. Alpha diversity varied among those who used indwelling catheters versus CIC, and those who underwent BTX-A injection versus not. On linear discriminate analysis, the relative abundance of the OTU identified as Pseudomonas was higher among patients using indwelling catheters relative to CIC. The OTU identified as Aerococcus was at a higher relative abundance among males compared to females. CONCLUSIONS: Enterobacteriaceae and Escherichia were the most abundant genera in the urinary microbiome of patients with NLUTD. Urinary microbiome diversity varied based on bladder management type. Future clinical correlations between microbiome of neurogenic patients and clinical presentation may help guide treatment strategies.

We present a methodology for subtyping of persons with a common clinical symptom complex by integrating heterogeneous continuous and categorical data. We illustrate it by clustering women with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), who represent a heterogeneous cohort with overlapping symptoms and multifactorial etiology. Data collected in the Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network (LURN), a multi-center observational study, included self-reported urinary and non-urinary symptoms, bladder diaries, and physical examination data for 545 women. Heterogeneity in these multidimensional data required thorough and non-trivial preprocessing, including scaling by controls and weighting to mitigate data redundancy, while the various data types (continuous and categorical) required novel methodology using a weighted Tanimoto indices approach. Data domains only available on a subset of the cohort were integrated using a semi-supervised clustering approach. Novel contrast criterion for determination of the optimal number of clusters in consensus clustering was introduced and compared with existing criteria. Distinctiveness of the clusters was confirmed by using multiple criteria for cluster quality, and by testing for significantly different variables in pairwise comparisons of the clusters. Cluster dynamics were explored by analyzing longitudinal data at 3- and 12-month follow-up. Five clusters of women with LUTS were identified using the developed methodology. None of the clusters could be characterized by a single symptom, but rather by a distinct combination of symptoms with various levels of severity. Targeted proteomics of serum samples demonstrated that differentially abundant proteins and affected pathways are different across the clusters. The clinical relevance of the identified clusters is discussed and compared with the current conventional approaches to the evaluation of LUTS patients. The rationale and thought process are described for the selection of procedures for data preprocessing, clustering, and cluster evaluation. Suggestions are provided for minimum reporting requirements in publications utilizing clustering methodology with multiple heterogeneous data domains.

We present a novel methodology for subtyping of persons with a common clinical symptom complex by integrating heterogeneous continuous and categorical data. We illustrate it by clustering women with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), who represent a heterogeneous cohort with overlapping symptoms and multifactorial etiology. Identifying subtypes within this group would potentially lead to better diagnosis and treatment decision-making. Data collected in the Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network (LURN), a multi-center prospective observational cohort study, included self-reported urinary and non-urinary symptoms, bladder diaries, and physical examination data for 545 women. Heterogeneity in these multidimensional data required thorough and non-trivial preprocessing, including scaling by controls and weighting to mitigate data redundancy, while the various data types (continuous and categorical) required novel methodology using a weighted Tanimoto indices approach. Data domains only available on a subset of the cohort were integrated using a semi-supervised clustering approach. Novel contrast criterion for determination of the optimal number of clusters in consensus clustering was introduced and compared with existing criteria. Distinctiveness of the clusters was confirmed by using multiple criteria for cluster quality, and by testing for significantly different variables in pairwise comparisons of the clusters. Cluster dynamics were explored by analyzing longitudinal data at 3- and 12-month follow-up. Five distinct clusters of women with LUTS were identified using the developed methodology. The clinical relevance of the identified clusters is discussed and compared with the current conventional approaches to the evaluation of LUTS patients. Rationale and thought process are described for selection of procedures for data preprocessing, clustering, and cluster evaluation. Suggestions are provided for minimum reporting requirements in publications utilizing clustering methodology with multiple heterogeneous data domains.

The clinician treating patients with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD) needs to balance a variety of factors when making treatment decisions. In addition to the patient's urologic symptoms and urodynamic findings, other issues that may influence management options of the lower urinary tract include cognition, hand function, type of neurologic disease, mobility, bowel function/management, and social and caregiver support. This Guideline allows the clinician to understand the options available to treat patients, understand the findings that can be seen in NLUTD, and appreciate which options are best for each individual patient. This allows for decisions to be made with the patient, in a shared decision-making manner, such that the patient's quality of life can be optimized with respect to their bladder management.A comprehensive search for studies assessing patients undergoing evaluation, surveillance, management, or follow-up for NLUTD was conducted from January 2001 through October 2017 and was rerun in February 2021 to capture newer literature. The primary search returned 20,496 unique citations. Following a title and abstract screen, full texts were obtained for 3,036 studies. During full-text review, studies were primarily excluded for not meeting the PICO criteria. One hundred eight-four primary literature studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the evidence base.This guideline was developed to inform clinicians on the proper evaluation, diagnosis, and risk stratification of adult patients with NLUTD and the non-surgical and surgical treatment options available. Additional statements on urinary tract infection and autonomic dysreflexia were developed to guide the clinician.NLUTD patients may undergo non-surgical and surgical treatment options depending on their level of risk, symptoms, and urodynamic findings. Appropriate follow-up, primarily based on their risk stratification, must be maintained after treatment.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE:Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are highly prevalent, decrease health-related quality of life (QOL), and are costly to treat. It is useful to consider storage symptom...

Objective To describe a stepwise management of patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) with Hunner's lesions and present single institution long-term outcomes. Methods This is a retrospective review of a single tertiary center experience with management of patients with Hunner's lesions from January 2005 to January of 2015. Patients who met the diagnostic criteria for IC/BPS were included. Systematic approach to treatment of patients with Hunner's lesions is proposed based on our results. Results Fifty-five patients with IC/BPS and Hunner's lesions were included. Mean age was 65.0 ±12.7 years, 76.4% (42/55) were female, and median symptom duration was 2 years (interquartile range [IQR] 1.7). All patients had a biopsy to rule out malignancy with therapeutic fulguration which resulted in subjective symptom improvement in 81.8% (45/55) and median time to repeat procedures was 12 months (IQR 621). Triamcinolone injection into the lesion was done in 35 patients and 91.4% (32/35) reported subjective improvement. Repeat injections were done for 74% (26/35) and median time between injections was 8 months (IQR 4, 13). AUA symptom scores and quality of life improved significantly with both treatment modalities. Adjunctive treatment with cyclosporine was used in 47.2% (26/55), and 7.2% (4/55) went on to have a cystectomy. Conclusion Patients with Hunner's lesions benefit from early progression from conservative treatments to endoscopic management. Excellent symptom control can be achieved with biopsy/fulguration and triamcinolone injections but recurrence is common and repeat treatments are needed for most patients.

Aims The aims of this study were to assess the completeness of voiding diaries in a research context and to correlate diary data with patient-reported questionnaires. Methods Men and women enrolled in the Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network (LURN) were given a 3-day voiding and fluid-intake diary to fill-out. Diaries were assessed for completeness and intake-output imbalances. They were assigned to one of four categories based on a percentage of missing data and fluid imbalance: no diary submitted, unusable (>40% missing void or intake volumes, or unphysiological fluid imbalance), usable but not complete, and complete. Results A total of 1064 participants were enrolled and 85% (n = 902) returned the bladder diary. Of the diaries returned, 94% (n = 845) had data on three separate days, 87% (n = 786) had no missing intake volumes, 61% (n = 547) had no missing voided volumes, and 70% (n = 635) had a fluid imbalance within 3 L across the 3-day time period, resulting in 50% (n = 448) of participants with 100% complete diaries. Younger age was associated with a higher likelihood of not submitting a diary, or submitting an unusable diary. Women had a higher likelihood of submitting an unusable diary or a usable but incomplete diary. Conclusion Overall, 50% of LURN participants returned voiding diaries with perfectly complete data. Incomplete data for voided volumes was the most common deficiency. There was only a moderate correlation between diary data and questionnaire responses, indicating that diaries are a source of unique information.

Aims Patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) are at risk of developing renal calculi. This study describes the management of renal calculi among patients with SCI with attention to factors influencing surgical management vs observation. Methods This retrospective, cohort study identified patients with SCI and renal calculi between 2009 to 2016 from an institutional neurogenic bladder database and detailed the management of their stones. A stone episode was defined as radiographic evidence of new calculi. Results Of 205 patients with SCI, 34 had renal stones, for a prevalence of 17%. The mean age was 50 years (range 22,77) and most had cervical SCI (n = 22, 65%). There were 41 stone episodes with 98 individual stones identified with a mean stone size of 4.9 mm (range 1-19). Of the 41 episodes, 10 (24%) underwent surgery after initial diagnosis. Pain was the most common primary indication for surgery (n = 9, 60%). The median time from diagnosis to intervention for all patients was 4 months (interquartile range 1,23). Of the 41 episodes, 31 (76%) were initially observed and among these, 5 ultimately required surgery (16%) while 26 (84%) did not. Of these 26, 12 (46%) stones passed spontaneously and 14 (53%) remained unchanged. The need for surgery correlated with more stone episodes (P = .049). Conclusion In this cohort of patients with SCI and small, nonobstructing renal stones, 76% (n = 31) were offered observation. Of these observed patients, 84% (n = 26) did not require further intervention at a median of 4 years of follow-up.

To improve the potential for finding clinically important subtypes of patients with lower urinary tract symptoms we developed the CASUS (Comprehensive Assessment of Self-reported Urinary Symptoms). We used it to present data on the experiences of lower urinary tract symptoms in treatment seeking women and men from a prospective observational cohort.We created an initial list of lower urinary tract symptoms that were confirmed in 22 qualitative interviews with providers, and 88 qualitative interviews with care seeking and noncare seeking women and men with lower urinary tract symptoms. Items from extant measures were adopted and revised, and new items were developed. All items were evaluated for understanding in 64 cognitive interviews. Items were administered to a prospective cohort of female and male patients with lower urinary tract symptoms who were seeking care. Analyses were done to describe item response distributions and correlations among item responses separately for women and men.A total of 444 males and 372 females provided responses to the CASUS. Several sets of items showed different relationships for women compared to men. In particular the associations between sensation related items and incontinence related items were generally positive among females but often negative among males.After using an intensive development process the CASUS addresses a wide range of lower urinary tract symptoms. It should help identify clinically important subtypes of patients. Further, item collection can provide the foundation for shorter measures for use in the clinic and as trial end points.

Objective: To review lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), which include a large variety of bladder complaints, in women with simultaneous pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Methods: This article is a systematic review of the current literature on LUTS occurring simultaneously with POP following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology. Results: The prevalence of both conditions is high, but they occur more frequently together than can be explained by chance. It appears that POP is in some women causative of overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms, as in many women correction of the POP resolves the bladder symptoms and small studies of women with detrusor underactivity also demonstrate resolution of symptoms. The most plausible explanation for the relationship is that POP causes bladder outlet obstruction, which results in excess bladder irritability or poor contractility. However, not all women have resolution of their OAB symptoms and some women develop them de novo after POP repair, so this explanation requires more in depth study. Conclusions: Women with both LUTS and symptomatic POP should probably have their POP targeted, as its reduction either via surgery or pessary can correct the LUTS. However, no studies have addressed asymptomatic POP, so it is unclear if treating POP in these instances is of benefit. Abbreviations: BOO: bladder outlet obstruction; DO: detrusor overactivity; DU: detrusor underactivity; OAB: overactive bladder; PdetQmax: detrusor pressure at maximum urinary flow; POP: pelvic organ prolapse; PVR: post-void residual urine volume; RR: relative risk; SUFU: Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine and Urogenital Reconstruction; UDS: urodynamic studies; (S)(U)UI: (stress) (urgency) urinary incontinence

Objective To evaluate urologic follow-up and prevalence of medical complications among adult patients in the United States with myelomeningocele (MMC) who are Medicare beneficiaries. Methods We performed a retrospective study using a 5% Medicare sample from 2007 to 2010. We defined acceptable minimum follow-up criteria as patients receiving all of the following: serum creatinine, upper urinary tract imaging, and a urologist evaluation within a 2-year period. We queried associated diagnoses and relevant complications using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes, graded based on clinical impact. A regression model identified factors associated with evaluation completeness as well as with increased prevalence of medical complications. Results We identified 825 patients with MMC, predominantly Caucasian (85.1%) and female (61.3%), with a mean age of 51.2 ± 17.2 years. Only 33.5% of the patients met the minimum acceptable follow-up criteria. Forty-four percent saw a urologist within the 2-year period. Most complications observed were mild, observed in 27.6% of patients. Moderate and severe complications were observed in 17.0% and 6.6% of patients, respectively. The most common complications were cystitis (16.4%), pressure ulcers (7.1%), chronic kidney disease (4.4%), and pyelonephritis (3.7%). Logistic regression indicated that younger age, male gender, and adequate follow-up were associated with increased prevalence of complications. Conclusion Despite high prevalence of complications in patients with MMC, most are not receiving the minimum recommended follow-up. The 33.5% of patients who received adequate surveillance were diagnosed with more complications, likely secondary to improved disease ascertainment. Prospective studies are needed to look at follow-up strategies and how these can improve outcomes for patients with MMC.

Purpose To describe a technique for urodynamic diagnosis of detrusor sphincter dyssynergia (DSD) using urethral pressure measurements and examine potential associations between urethral pressure and bladder physiology among patients with DSD. Methods Multiple sclerosis (MS) and spinal cord injured (SCI) patients with known DSD diagnosed on videourodynamics (via electromyography or voiding cystourethrography) were retrospectively identified. Data from SCI and MS patients with detrusor overactivity (DO) without DSD were abstracted as control group. Urodynamics tracings were reviewed and urethral pressure DSD was defined based on comparison of DSD and control groups. Results Seventy-two patients with DSD were identified. Sixty-two (86%) had >20 cm H2O urethral pressure amplitude during detrusor contraction. By comparison, 5 of 23 (22%) of control group had amplitude of >20 cm H2O during episode of DO. Mean duration of urethral pressure DSD episode was 66 seconds (range, 10–500 seconds) and mean urethral pressure amplitude was 73 cm H2O (range, 1–256 cm H2O). Longer (>30 seconds) DSD episodes were significantly associated with male sex (81% vs. 50%, P=0.013) and higher bladder capacity (389 mL vs. 219 mL, P=0.0004). Urethral pressure amplitude measurements during DSD were not associated with significant urodynamic variables or neurologic pathology. Conclusions Urethral pressure amplitude of >20 cm H2O during detrusor contraction occurred in 86% of patients with known DSD. Longer DSD episodes were associated with larger bladder capacity. Further studies exploring the relationship between urethral pressure measurements and bladder physiology could phenotype DSD as a measurable variable rather than a categorical observation.

Purpose: Women with lower urinary tract symptoms are often diagnosed based on a predefined symptom complex or a predominant symptom. There are many limitations to this paradigm as often patients present with multiple urinary symptoms which do not perfectly fit the preestablished diagnoses. We used cluster analysis to identify novel, symptom based subtypes of women with lower urinary tract symptoms.Materials and Methods: We analyzed baseline urinary symptom questionnaire data obtained from 545 care seeking female participants enrolled in the LURN (Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network) Observational Cohort Study. Symptoms were measured with the LUTS (lower urinary tract symptoms) Tool and the AUA SI (American Urological Association Symptom Index), and analyzed using a probability based consensus clustering algorithm.Results: Four clusters were identified. The 138 women in cluster F1 did not report incontinence but experienced post-void dribbling, frequency and voiding symptoms. The 8...

Introduction There is a paucity of patient reported outcome measure (PROM) data for women with urethral strictures. To address this gap, we aim to evaluate change in PROM among women who underwent surgery for a stricture. Methods American Urological Association Symptom Index (AUA-SI) and Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6) data from a multi-institutional retrospective cohort study of women treated for urethral stricture was assessed. Results Fifty-seven women had either AUA-SS or UDI-6 and 26 had baseline and postoperative data for either. Most women underwent urethroplasty (77%) and the majority (73%) remained stricture free at median follow-up of 21 months (interquartile range [IQR] 7-37). The median baseline AUA-SI was 21 (IQR 12-28) and follow-up was 10 (IQR 5-24). After treatment, there was a median decrease of 12 (IQR -18 to -2) in AUA-SI (p = 0.003). The median AUA Quality of life (QOL) score at baseline and follow-up were 6 (IQR 4-6) and 3 (IQR 2-5), respectively. There was a median AUA-QOL improvement of 2 points (-5,0; p = 0.007) from a baseline 5 (unhappy) to 3 (mixed). Median UDI-6 scores were 50 (IQR 33-75) at baseline and 17 (IQR 0-39), at follow-up. After treatment, there was a median decrease of 19 (-31 to -11; p = 0.01). Conclusion Women with urethral strictures have severe lower urinary tract symptoms which improved after surgery. This study substantiates the claims that recognizing and treating women with urethral stricture disease greatly improves lower urinary tract symptoms and QOL.

We hypothesized that patients with refractory overactive bladder (rOAB) have similar improvement with percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) and OnabotulinumtoxinA (BTX).This multicenter cohort study compared BTX and PTNS in women with rOAB. Baseline information included Overactive Bladder Questionnaire (OABq) short form, Urinary Distress Inventory-6 (UDI-6), and voiding diary. Primary outcome was cure, defined as "very much better" or "much better" on the Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGII) AND a reduction in OABq symptom severity scale (SSS) ≥10 at 3 months after treatment. Assuming 80% power to detect a ten-point difference in OABq-SSS, 80 participants were required per group.A total of 150 patients were enrolled; 97 completed 3 months of therapy and were included. At baseline, BTX patients had more detrusor overactivity (70% vs 40%, p = 0.025), urgency incontinence (UUI; OABq-SSS#6 4 vs 3, p = 0.02, SSS 65 vs 56, p = 0.04), but similar health-related quality of life (HRQL 49 vs 54, p = 0.28), voids (7 vs 8, p = 0.13), and UUI episodes (2 vs 2, p = 1.0). At 3 months, cure rates were similar: BTX 50% vs PTNS 44.2% (p = 0.56). Both groups had improved SSS (-37 vs -29, p = 0.08) and HRQL (31 vs 24, p = 0.14). Patients receiving BTX had a greater improvement in urgency (ΔOABq-SSS#2-3 vs -2; p = 0.02) and UUI (ΔOABq-SSS#6-2 vs -1; p = 0.02). No characteristics were predictive of cure.BTX resulted in significantly greater improvement in urgency and UUI than PTNS, but no difference in success based on PGII and OABq-SSS, which may be due to a lack of power.