Urodynamic Findings and Voiding Symptoms according to Lesion Sites in Stroke

Objective: To investigate urodynamic findings and voiding symptoms according to the location of brain lesion after stroke. Method: Twenty-six patients with stroke (19 infarction, 7 hemorrhage) who had complained of voiding dysfunction were studied. Brain MRI was performed to identify the suprapontine lesion or pontine lesion. Intravesical pressure and voiding control function of the external urethral sphincters were evaluated by urodynamic study with electromyographic study of the external urethral sphincter. Also voiding symptoms were evaluated. We classified voiding dysfunction into three subgroups by urodynamic findings as follows: detrusor hyperactivity, detrusor hypoactivity, and normal. Functions of the external urethral sphincters were divided into normal, impairment of external urethral sphincter volitional control (IEUS), and detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia (DSD). The symptoms of voiding dysfunction were categorized into three types as a irritative, obstructive or mixed type. Results: In patients with suprapontine lesion (n=22), 11 (50%) showed hyperactive detrusor and 6 (27.3%) showed hypoactive detrusor. However, in the pontine lesion (n=4), one patient (25%) was normal and the others were hypoactive detrusor. Fourteen cases (64%) of the suprapontine lesion and 1 case (25%) of pontine lesion demonstrated normal external urethral volitional control. Seven of 11 patients with irritative symptoms showed detrusor overactivity. Five of 9 patients with obstructive symptoms showed hypoactive detrusor. Conclusion: We concluded that hyperactive detrusor in suprapontine lesion and hypoactive detrusor in pontine lesion were dominant. However, voiding symptoms in stroke patients were various according to the external urethral sphincter function as well as the detrusor activity.