Association between Urodynamic and Cystoscopic findings in Women with Bothersome Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms: A Prospective Observational Study

Abstract

Introduction: Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS) are responsible for negative impact on quality of life of women. Urodynamic Study (UDS) is gold standard objective investigation in evaluating bothersome LUTS. Cystoscopy is important where UDS is difficult or unavailable. Despite vital role and unique properties of UDS and cystoscopy, the role of UDS and cystoscopy in the assessment of bothersome LUTS in young females continues to be heavily debatable subject as there is limited study in this age group. Aim: To evaluate causes of LUTS in young female patients and associate them with urodynamic and cystoscopic findings. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective observational study conducted in IPGMER and SSKM Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India, from July 2019 to December 2020. A total of 100 female patients from adulthood to menopause were evaluated having decreased quality of life due to LUTS called bothersome LUTS in the form of history taking, clinical examination, basic biochemical tests, ultrasonography followed by urodynamic and cystoscopic examination. Patients were classified according to their LUTS into three groups: storage dysfunction, urinary incontinence and bladder emptying dysfunction. Association of UDS parameters like Idiopathic Detrusor Overactivity (IDO), IDO with detrusor underactivity, Compensated Bladder Outlet Obstruction (CBOO) was made with cystoscopic findings like dilated veins with cystitis,lax urethra, bladder trabeculations,diverticula, urethral stricture. Results were analyzed using Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and International Business Machines (IBM) Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27.0. Results: In storage dysfunction group, frequency with nocturia (53.3%) and in urinary incontinence group, stress urinary incontinence (58.3%) was predominant bothersome symptom. In storage dysfunction group 73.3% patients had IDO and 26.7% patients had normal UDS findings. In these patients on cystoscopic examination, 83.3% patients had dilated veins with cystitis changes. In urinary incontinence group 70.8% patients had IDO and 29.2% patients had IDO with detrusor underactivity on UDS examination. In these patients cystoscopic examination 54.2% had lax urethra with cystitis changes. In bladder emptying dysfunction group on UDS examination, all patients had CBOO and 75% had urethral stricture on cystoscopy. Conclusion: Significant association exists between UDS and cystoscopic findings on evaluation of LUTS in young females patients. Storage dysfunction symptoms were the most common in young age group followed by urinary incontinence symptoms. Bladder emptying dysfunction symptoms were least common.