Clinical usefulness of ambulatory urodynamics in the diagnosis and treatment of lower urinary tract dysfunction

Abstract

Objective: Ambulatory urodynamics is reported to be useful for the detection of detrusor overactivity. However, the procedure is time-consuming, technically challenging and expensive. Its clinical usefulness for the detection and treatment of bladder dysfunction has not been studied in detail.

Material and methods: Twenty-five patients (17 men, eight women, median age 59 years) with lower urinary tract symptoms underwent ambulatory urodynamic examination.

Results: In six out of 25 patients (24%), ambulatory urodynamics was not evaluable. Where the procedure was technically feasible, diagnosis was possible in 72%. Treatment was modified in 63%, leading to satisfactory results in 42% of the patients.

Conclusions: Ambulatory urodynamics is the most sensitive tool for the detection or exclusion of detrusor overactivity. Therefore, the method is valuable when all other diagnostic means have failed to detect the underlying lower urinary tract dysfunction. In these cases, treatment decisions can safely be based on the results of ambulatory urodynamics.