Original articleDo female patients with predominant voiding symptoms really have objective voiding-phase dysfunction?

ObjectivesTo investigate whether female patients with predominant voiding symptom really have objective voiding phase dysfunction.MethodsFemale patients with lower urinary tract symptoms who underwent video-urodynamic study between January 2009 and December 2012 were recruited. All patients completed a 3-day frequency-volume chart. Symptom severity was evaluated using International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS) and Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6) questionnaires. The patients with IPSS-voiding subscores greater than IPSS-storage subscores and their most bother symptom are one of voiding symptom of IPSS were defined as subjective voiding dysfunction group (SVD group). The demographics, IPSS scores, OABSS scores, frequency-volume charts and urodynamic variables were compared between SVD and non-SVD groups.ResultsOf the 842 enrolled patients, 142 (16.9%) were classified into SVD group. Total IPSS and IPSS-voiding subscores of SVD group were significantly higher than those of non-SVD group. Conversely, IPSS-storage subscores, OABSS and UDI-6 scores of SVD group were significantly lower than those of non-SVD group. The prevalence of urodynamic voiding phase dysfunction was 64.7% in SVD group, which was significantly higher than those of non-SVD group (37.8%, p < 0.01). SVD group showed more prevalent bladder outlet obstruction (50.0% vs. 27.0%, p < 0.01). There were no significant differences in the prevalence of impaired detrusor contractility between SVD and non-SVD group. Detrusor overactivity was more prevalent in non-SVD group (5.6% vs. 18.6%, p < 0.01).ConclusionsEven though the female patients complain of predominant voiding symptoms, only two thirds of them were identified having urodynamic voiding phase dysfunction. On the other hand, in female patients whose predominant complaint are not voiding symptom, around one third of them were found to have urodynamic voiding phase dysfunction. This study clearly indicates that in females subjective low urinary tract symptoms are not necessarily reliable.