Objectives: Irritative bladder symptoms are common in females. Besides, micturition disorders are occasionally associated. Sensory urgency is one of the syndromes that include the symptoms. This entity is a urodynamic condition defined by the presence of pain or urgency during the filling phase without associated involuntary detrusor contractions. Although it is well defined urodynamically, the corresponding nosological entity is unknown. The objective of this study is to check if it has any relationship with the capability of the abdominal press to participate during micturition.
Methods: We perform a transversal study comparing a group of 25 females (mean age 50.2 yr.) with the diagnosis of sensory urgency and a group of 48 patients paired by age. Urodynamic data from both groups were reviewed, and the existence of significant differences was determined for flowmetry, bladder capacity (cystometry), and participation of the abdominal press during voiding (voiding flow-detrusor pressure test).
Results: Patients with sensory urgency showed significantly lower maximum and mean flow rates than controls. Bladder capacity was similar in both groups, but bladder capacity at first desire to void was significantly lower in the sensory urgency group. No significant differences were observed between the groups on participation of the abdominal press. However, if the comparison was performed between the subgroup of patients with sensory urgency who also referred suprapubic pain during filling and controls, then there was a significantly higher participation of the abdominal press during voiding in this group.
Conclusions: Data from this study are compatible with the hypothesis that sensory urgency is associated with bladder contractile capacity alterations. This association would be more evident in the group of patients in which sensory urgency is accompanied by hypogastric pain during filling, which could constitute a subgroup with higher progression risk.