Enuresis and overactive bladder in children: what is the relationship between these two conditions?

Evaluate clinical aspects associated with the presence of nocturnal enuresis (NE) in children with a diagnosis of overactive bladder (OAB).

A data base of 200 children who were evaluated by a structured questionnaire was analysed retrospectively . OAB was defined as the presence of urinary urgency (n=183 cases) and/or daytime urinary incontinence associated with holding maneuvers (n=168 cases). Inclusion criteria were a confirmed diagnosis of OAB, age 5-16 years, and no anatomical or neurological alterations of the urinary tract. Patients were divided into enuretics and non-enuretics. The two groups were compared with respect to sex, age, skin color, presence urinary infection, urgency, urge incontinence, non-urge incontinence, pollakiuria, urinary dysfunction, nocturia, holding maneuvers, number of episodes of enuresis and bowel alterations. In a univariate analysis, the chi-square test was used to compare proportions, with p-values <0.05 being considered significant. A multivariate analysis was conducted to identify independent predictive factors.

Enuresis was diagnosed in 141/200 children. The two groups were similar with respect to sex, age and skin color. No difference was found in relation to urinary infection, non-urge incontinence, urinary dysfunction, nocturia, encopresis or constipation. The two groups were significantly different with regard to some symptoms related to OAB such as urgency (p=0.001), urge incontinency (p=0.001) and holding maneuvers (p=0.033). Following multivariate analysis, only holding maneuvers (p=0.022) remained as an independent predictive factor.

The only independent predictive factor for resolution of enuresis in children with OAB, as detected in the multivariate analysis, was holding maneuvers.

International braz j urol : official journal of the Brazilian Society of Urology. 0000 [Epub]

Ariane Sampaio Sousa, Maria Luisa Veiga, Ana Aparecida N Braga, Maria Clara Carvalho, Ubirajara Barroso

Escola Bahia de Medicina e Saúde Pública - Pos - Graduação, Salvador, Brasil., Departamento Urologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, Bahia, Brasil.