Urethral dilation improves bladder compliance in children with myelomeningocele and high leak point pressures.

Among 350 children with myelomeningocele 18 with elevated leak point pressures were managed by urethral dilation and followed for 1 to 5 years. Longitudinal measurements of bladder compliances revealed durable improvement in the pressure-volume relationships after dilation. These data suggest that noncompliant bladders are acquired because of high outlet resistance, and early intervention may improve long-term bladder storage characteristics.