Abdomino-Pelvic Ultrasound Evaluation in Monosymptomatic Primary Nocturnal Enuresis.

BACKGROUND: Enuresis is one of the most common childhood problems. Our study aimed to evaluate children with enuresis by renal bladder ultrasound (RBUS) to detect urological abnormalities and to compare the sonographic findings with control group. METHODS: Our study included 30 children with primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (PMNE). Another 30 matched children with normal continence to urine were assigned as controls. The 2 groups were subjected to urine analysis, serum creatinine, and RBUS. RESULTS: Ultrasound showed abnormality in 10% of case group, which was not significantly different from controls (p = 1.000). CONCLUSION: Abnormalities discovered by ultrasonography in PMNE are more than in control group but without statistical significance and do not require invasive diagnostic tests. Children with sonographic abnormalities appear to be more resistant to treatment. We concluded that ultrasound is not necessary in MPNE and should be done in patients resistant to treatment.

The brain mechanism of awakening dysfunction in children with primary nocturnal enuresis based on PVT-NAc neural pathway: a resting-state fMRI study.

Primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) affects children's physical and mental health with a high rate. However, its neural mechanism is still unclear. Studies have found that the paraventricular thalamus (PVT) is among the key brain regions implicated with awakening regulation and its control of the transition between sleep and wakening is dependent on signaling through the PVT-nucleus accumbens (NAc) pathway. So this study analyzed the function of brain regions and their connectivity of PVT and NAc. A total of twenty-six PNE and typically developing (TD) children were involved in the study and the methods of amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF), degree centrality (DC) and functional connectivity (FC) based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) were used to analyze the brain functions. Results showed that there was no statistical significant difference in ALFF and DC between PNE and TD children in bilateral PVT and NAc. And there was statistical significant difference of the comparison of the FC of left PVT (lPVT) and left NAc (lNAc) between PNE and TD children. Meanwhile, there was negative correlation between awakening score and the FC of rPVT and lNAc, and no obvious correlation between awakening score and the FC of lPVT and lNAc in PNE children. Meanwhile, there was both negative correlation between awakening score and the FC of lPVT, rPTV and lNAc in TD children. Therefore, the FC between rPVT and lNAc was more reliable in assessing the degree of awakening ability in PNE children. This finding could help establish the evaluation index of PNE.

Pathogenesis and brain functional imaging in nocturnal enuresis: A review.

Nocturnal enuresis is a common and distressing developmental disease, which may cause various degrees of psychosocial stress and impairment to self-esteem in affected children as well as agitation to their parents or caregivers. Nevertheless, the etiology and pathogenesis of nocturnal enuresis are not understood. Currently, nocturnal enuresis is generally considered a multifactorial disease associated with a complex interaction of somatic, psychosocial, and environmental factors. A variety of postulations have been proposed to explain the occurrence and progression of nocturnal enuresis, including hereditary aberration, abnormal circadian rhythm of antidiuretic hormone secretion during sleep, bladder dysfunction, abnormal sleep, difficulties in arousal, neuropsychological disorders, and maturational delays of the brain. In recent decades, the introduction of functional neuroimaging technologies has provided new approaches for uncovering the mechanisms underlying nocturnal enuresis. The main neuroimaging modalities have included brain morphometry based on structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), task-based and event-related functional MRI (fMRI), and resting-state fMRI. The relevant studies have indicated that nocturnal enuresis is associated with functional and structural alterations of the brain. In this review, we briefly summarized the popular hypotheses regarding the pathogenesis of nocturnal enuresis and the current progress of functional neuroimaging studies in examining the underlying mechanisms thereof.

Functional connectivity of thalamus in children with primary nocturnal enuresis: results from a resting-state fMRI study.

Primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) is characterized by a low cure rate and a high reoccurrence rate, since its underlying mechanism remains unclear. Based on the recent studies that thalamus plays an important role in waking up a sleeping person, here we further investigate the functional connectivity (FC) information between thalamus and other brain regions, in order to make better understanding of the PNE's pathogenesis. In this study, we enrolled 30 children diagnosed with PNE and 30 typically developing children that are age and sex matched, the thalamus-based FC estimates were extracted at the resting-state. Experiments showed that for children with PNE, there were four brain regions found with a reduced connection efficiency with thalamus, that were cerebellum posterior lobe, frontal lobe, parietal lobe and precentral gyrus. It can be concluded that these relevant regions might induce an arousal disorder, and therefore further lead to PNE. This finding also provides a new insight in the pathophysiology of PNE.

Abnormal neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging of white matter in children with primary nocturnal enuresis.

Several lines of evidence indicate that multiple abnormalities of gray matter are related to the pathogenesis of primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE); however, few studies have been conducted with respect to abnormalities in white matter (WM) of children with PNE. The present work investigated the microstructure of WM in children with PNE using a neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) method. NODDI data were obtained from 29 children with PNE (age = 9.8 ± 1.2 years, 59% males) and 34 healthy controls (age = 10.3 ± 1.6 years, 56% males) in this study. Multi-b-value diffusion-weighted imaging data were acquired with a 3 T MR system, and the orientation dispersion index (ODI) and neurite density index (NDI) maps were calculated. Tract-Based Spatial Statistics analyses of WM tracts were performed with ODI and NDI maps in children with PNE and controls. Children with PNE had lower ODIs in WM fiber tracts of the bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) and higher ODIs in the bilateral internal capsule (IC) and right anterior thalamic radiation (ATR) than controls. PNE children also had lower NDIs in the bilateral IC and the cingulum and higher NDIs in the bilateral SLF. These changes in NODDI indices, which indicated abnormal neural maturation of the WM microstructures, may be related to abnormal sleep and enuresis in children with PNE.

Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation of resting-state fMRI in primary nocturnal enuresis and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and nocturnal enuresis (NE) have similar symptoms, for example, inattention and dysfunction of working memory. We investigate disorder-specific abnormal activity by using the simple resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) metric amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF). About 18 ADHD, NE, and typically developing children were examined by RS-fMRI and the child behavior checklist (CBCL) test. One-way ANOVA were used to compare the ALFF values of the three groups and post hoc was done. We conducted Pearson correlation analysis on the results of the three groups' scales with ALFF values at the discrepant brain areas after then. Significant group effect was found in the bilateral medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), left inferior temporal gyrus (ITG), left middle temporal gyrus (MTG), cerebellum anterior lobe (CAL), and left inferior parietal lobule (IPL). There was no shared abnormal region for ADHD and NE. Specially, ADHD showed increased ALFF in the bilateral MPFC, left ITG, and CAL and showed decreased ALFF in the left MTG. The children with NE showed increased ALFF in the left IPL. This study reveals the brain mechanism of cognitive changes on ADHD and NE, which provides neuroimaging basis for behavioral differences among different diseases.

Study on neuropathological mechanisms of primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis in children using cerebral resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (PMNE) is a heterogeneous disorder, which remains a difficult condition to manage due to lack of knowledge on the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. Here we investigated the underlying neuropathological mechanisms of PMNE with functional MRI (fMRI), combining the amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and seed-based functional connectivity (seed-based FC) analyses. Compared to the control group, PMNE group showed decreased ALFF value in the left medial orbital superior frontal gyrus (Frontal_Med_Orb_L), and increased ReHo value in the left superior occipital gyrus (Occipital_Sup_L). With left thalamus as the seed, PMNE group showed significantly decreased functional connectivity to the left medial superior frontal gyrus (Frontal_Sup_Medial_L). We conclude that these abnormal brain activities are probably important neuropathological mechanisms of PMNE in children. Furthermore, this study facilitated the understanding of underlying pathogenesis of PMNE and may provide an objective basis for the effective treatment.

Degree centrality of key brain regions of attention networks in children with primary nocturnal enuresis: A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study.

Primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) is always associated with attention impairment, some of which even could develop to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The mechanism of attention impairment is not clear, especially lacking of objective indicators of neuroimaging. The aim of this study is to explore the possible functional imaging mechanism of impaired attention in PNE children. A total of 26 PNE children and 26 age-matched normal controls were recruited. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was performed on these children. Degree centrality (DC) of key brain regions of DAN (lFEF, rFEF, lIFG, rIFG, lIPS, rIPS), VAN (TPJ, VFC) and DMN (PCC, aMPFC, lAG, rAG) were calculated and compared between PNE and normal children. And the correlations between DC values and attention behavioral results were measured. Compared with normal controls, PNE children exhibited lower DC value in the right frontal eye field (rFEF), left inferior parietal sulcus (lIPS), right inferior parietal sulcus (rIPS), temporal parietal junction (TPJ) and left angular gyrus (lAG). The correct number of continuous performance test (CPT) in the PNE group was significantly lower than the normal controls and there was no significant difference in the reaction time between the two groups. The correlation between DC values and attention behavioral results in PNE showed that the DC values of PCC and lAG were negatively correlated with the correct number. This work indicates that the damage of the key brain regions of DAN, VAN and DMN might be the possible functional imaging mechanism of impaired attention in children with PNE.

Feasibility study of intelligent autonomous determination of the bladder voiding need to treat bedwetting using ultrasound and smartphone ML techniques : Intelligent autonomous treatment of bedwetting.

Unsatisfactory cure rates for the treatment of nocturnal enuresis (NE), i.e. bed-wetting, have led to the need to explore alternative modalities. New treatment methods that focus on preventing enuretic episodes by means of a pre-void alerting system could improve outcomes for children with NE in many aspects. No such technology exists currently to monitor the bladder to alarm before bed-wetting. The aim of this study is to carry out the feasibility of building, refining and evaluating a new, safe, comfortable and non-invasive wearable autonomous intelligent electronic device to monitor the bladder using a single-element low-powered low-frequency ultrasound with the help of Machine Learning techniques and to treat NE by warning the patient at the pre-void stage, enhancing quality of life for these children starting from the first use. The sensitivity and specificity values are 0.89 and 0.93 respectively for determining imminent voiding need. The results indicate that customised imminent voiding need based on the expansion of the bladder can be determined by applying a single-element transducer on a bladder in intermittent manner. The acquired results can be improved further with a comfortable non-invasive device by adding several more features to the current features employed in this pilot study. Graphical Abstract Ultrasound device design: echoed US pulses reflected from the bladder and related tissues around the bladder is detected. These pulses are analysed, and an alarm is triggered when needed to treat nocturnal enuresis.

Degree centrality and voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity in children with nocturnal enuresis: A functional MRI study.

AIM: To determine the characteristics of brain development in children with nocturnal enuresis, we investigated the intensity of functional connectivity both among the nodes in the brain network and between the two hemispheres of the brain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-three children with nocturnal enuresis (NE) and an equal number of normal children were examined using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans. Data analysis was done via the degree centrality (DC) and voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) approaches. Moreover, we compared the children's psychological status by utilizing the self-concept scale. RESULTS: In four areas of the brain, the the DC values of the NE group were obviously lower than that of the normal controls. These four areas were the posterior cerebellar lobe, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), medial frontal gyrus, and superior left temporal gyrus (P < 0.05, after correction). We also found two brain areas where the VMHC values of the NE group were obviously lower than that of the normal controls. The two groups were the cerebellar lobe and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) [P < 0.05, after correction]. A psychological comparison between the children with NE and that in the normal group on the self-concept scale was also performed. The scores of the children with NE were lower than normal controls regarding behavior, appearance and property, anxiety, gregariousness, happiness, and satisfaction (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide evidence of the deficit of urination control in children with NE. Furthermore, through the methods of DC and VMHC, which are based on functional connectivity, it was also possible to explain why children with NE often have the concomitant symptoms of attention, control, and memory problems. The analysis of the self-concept scale suggests that children with NE lack self-confidence.

[Functional bladder capacity by ultrasound in patients with monosymptomatic primary enuresis]. / Capacidad vesical funcional mediante ultrasonido en pacientes con enuresis primaria monosintomática.

Nocturnal enuresis is a common clinical problem affecting 5% to 10% of school-age children. Etiology is not known but a diminished functional bladder capacity it has been proposed as a predisposing factor. There exist only a few studies evaluating it by ultrasound. OBJECTIVE: To identify if there is a difference of the functional bladder capacity measured by ultrasound between nocturnal enuresis group and healthy children. PATIENTS AND METHOD: A cross-sectional study from February 2014 to May 2015 including two groups, nocturnal enuresis and a control group of 40 patients each, 5 to 15 years old. A single blinded operator measured the functional bladder capacity by ultrasound with an Acuson S2000 SiemensTM 3.5 and 5 MHz transducer. Analytics and descriptive statistics were performed using IBM SPSS 20TM software. RESULTS: Patients with enuresis showed a decreased functional bladder capacity vs. controls (171.7 ml vs 225.5 ml; p = 0.025). A history of first-degree relative with enuresis increased the risk of having enuresis OR = 2.81 (95% CI: 1.06-7.42), a second-degree relative presented OR = 4.0 (95% CI: 1.48-10.78). Functional bladder capacity presented a weak correlation with the bladder capacity estimated by Kaefer’s formula. CONCLUSION: The functional bladder capacity is lower in the patients with nocturnal enuresis when compared to control group. There is little correlation between functional bladder capacity and Kaefer’s formula to determine the normal bladder capacity. We reaffirmed that the family history with enuresis strongly increases the risk of developing nocturnal enuresis.

Capacidad vesical funcional mediante ultrasonido en pacientes con enuresis primaria monosintomática / Functional bladder capacity by ultrasound in patients with monosymptomatic primary enuresis

La enuresis primaria monosintomática es un problema clínico común que afecta del 5 al 10% de los niños en edad escolar. La etiología exacta no se conoce, pero se ha propuesto una capacidad vesical funcional disminuida como factor predisponente. Existen pocos reportes en la literatura del uso de ultrasonido para su evaluación. Objetivo: Determinar si la capacidad vesical funcional medida por ultrasonido está disminuida en enuresis primaria monosintomática comparada con población sana. Pacientes y Método: Estudio trasversal analítico de febrero de 2014 a mayo de 2015 incluyendo 40 pacientes con enuresis y 40 sin enuresis, 5 a 15 años de edad, midiendo la capacidad vesical funcional mediante ecógrafo Siemens Acuson S2000TM con transductor 3,5 y 5 MHz por un solo operador cegado. Se realizó estadística descriptiva y analítica mediante el programa IBM SPSS 20 TM. Resultados: Los pacientes con enuresis presentaron menor capacidad vesical funcional 171,7 ml vs controles 225,5 ml (p = 0,025). Resultó factor de riesgo OR = 2,81 (IC 95%: 1,06-7,42) tener un familiar de primera línea con antecedente de enuresis y OR = 4,0 (IC 95%: 1,48-10,78) para segunda línea. La capacidad vesical funcional presentó correlación débil con la capacidad vesical normal estimada mediante la fórmula de Kaefer. Conclusión: La capacidad vesical funcional es menor en quien padece enuresis que en los que no la padecen y existe poca correlación con las fórmulas que determinan la capacidad vesical normal esperada como la de Kaefer. Se reafirmó que el antecedente hereditario de enuresis juega un papel importante como factor de riesgo.

Nocturnal enuresis is a common clinical problem affecting 5% to 10% of school-age children. Etiology is not known but a diminished functional bladder capacity it has been proposed as a predisposing factor. There exist only a few studies evaluating it by ultrasound. Objective: To identify if there is a difference of the functional bladder capacity measured by ultrasound between nocturnal enuresis group and healthy children. Patients and Method: A cross-sectional study from February 2014 to May 2015 including two groups, nocturnal enuresis and a control group of 40 patients each, 5 to 15 years old. A single blinded operator measured the functional bladder capacity by ultrasound with an Acuson S2000 SiemensTM 3.5 and 5 MHz transducer. Analytics and descriptive statistics were performed using IBM SPSS 20TM software. Results: Patients with enuresis showed a decreased functional bladder capacity vs. controls (171.7 ml vs 225.5 ml; p = 0.025). A history of first-degree relative with enuresis increased the risk of having enuresis OR = 2.81 (95% CI: 1.06-7.42), a second-degree relative presented OR = 4.0 (95% CI: 1.48-10.78). Functional bladder capacity presented a weak correlation with the bladder capacity estimated by Kaefer’s formula. Conclusion: The functional bladder capacity is lower in the patients with nocturnal enuresis when compared to control group. There is little correlation between functional bladder capacity and Kaefer’s formula to determine the normal bladder capacity. We reaffirmed that the family history with enuresis strongly increases the risk of developing nocturnal enuresis.

Connectome-Scale Assessments of Functional Connectivity in Children with Primary Monosymptomatic Nocturnal Enuresis.

Primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (PMNE) is a common developmental disorder in children. Previous literature has suggested that PMNE not only is a micturition disorder but also is characterized by cerebral structure abnormalities and dysfunction. However, the biological mechanisms underlying the disease are not thoroughly understood. Graph theoretical analysis has provided a unique tool to reveal the intrinsic attributes of the connectivity patterns of a complex network from a global perspective. Resting-state fMRI was performed in 20 children with PMNE and 20 healthy controls. Brain networks were constructed by computing Pearson's correlations for blood oxygenation level-dependent temporal fluctuations among the 2 groups, followed by graph-based network analyses. The functional brain networks in the PMNE patients were characterized by a significantly lower clustering coefficient, global and local efficiency, and higher characteristic path length compared with controls. PMNE patients also showed a reduced nodal efficiency in the bilateral calcarine sulcus, bilateral cuneus, bilateral lingual gyri, and right superior temporal gyrus. Our findings suggest that PMNE includes brain network alterations that may affect global communication and integration.

Can urinary nerve growth factor and bladder wall thickness correlation in children have a potential role to predict the outcome of non-monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis?

INTRODUCTION: Measurement of bladder wall thickness (BWTh) by ultrasound has been introduced as a new and promising technique to assess bladder dysfunction, and increased levels of nerve growth factor have also been reported in the bladder tissue and urine of patients with sensory urgency and detrusor overactivity (DO). OBJECTIVE: In this study we aimed to generate a clinically useful tool with urinary nerve growth factor levels and ultrasonographic BWTh to find possible pathogenetic clues and prognostic indicators as guides for the choice of therapy of non-monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis. METHODS: A total of 110 children, aged 6-16 years old, were involved in this prospective study. Group 1 consisted of children with non-monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (n = 40), Group 2 of children with monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (n = 40) and Group 3 of children with healthy normal controls (n = 30). Children were evaluated with detailed history and physical examination, including neurologic examination; they were asked to complete a self-reported questionnaire and a 3-day bladder diary with the aid of their parents. The number of wet nights, the number of voids per night, the presence of daytime voiding symptoms (urgency, urge incontinence, incontinence, holding maneuvers, frequency), fluid intake, and any history of urinary tract infections (UTIs) were recorded. Monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis and non-monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis diagnosis was made using the International Children's Continence Society definition. Urinary nerve growth factor levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and BWTh was measured transabdominally by a uroradiologist who specialized in pediatric ultrasonography. Urinary nerve growth factor levels were normalized by urinary creatinine levels and compared in all subgroups. RESULTS: The mean age of the study group was 9.6 (range 6-16) years. The mean BWTh was significantly increased in Group 1 compared with Group 2 (4.33 ± 1.12 mm, 2.33 ± 1.03 mm; p < 0.001) and healthy controls (4.33 ± 1.12 mm, 1.86 ± 0.57 mm; p < 0.001, respectively). Urinary levels of nerve growth factor corrected to urine creatinine (NGF/Cr) significantly increased in Group 1 with to Group 2 (2.75 ± 1.15 vs. 0.58 ± 0.15; p < 0.001) and controls (2.75 ± 1.15 vs.0.28 ± 0.10; p < 0.001, respectively). In receiver operating characteristic analysis, BWTh was found to have sensitivity of 95% and specificity of 85.7% (3.00 area under the curve [AUC] 0.937; 95%) and NGF/Cr had sensitivity of 97.5% and specificity of 98.6% (0.885; AUC, 999; 95%) in predicting lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) for non-monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (NMNE) (Figure). DISCUSSION: In our study we have investigated that BWTh together with urinary NGF levels normalized to the concentration of urinary creatinine (NGF/Cr) may predict daytime voiding problems in children with primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE). The main basis of this study is previous findings which demonstrated that ultrasonography (US)-based measurement of BWTh is a useful diagnostic parameter for LUTS in children, and that increased levels of NGF in bladder tissue and urine such as sensory urgency, DO, and overactive bladder (OAB) was indicated by clinical and experimental studies. The present study demonstrated that urinary NGF/Cr levels and BWTh measurements were significantly increased in patients with NMNE with daytime urinary symptoms (urgency, urge-incontinence, incontinence, frequency) showing symptoms of an OAB than controls and MNE. CONCLUSION: BWTh measurements and NGF/Cr values, as non-invasive tools, may guide therapy and improve outcomes in the treatment of children with NMNE. Further studies including a larger number of patients would be of great interest.

Sleep fragmentation and periodic limb movements in children with monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis and polyuria.

BACKGROUND: Children with nocturnal enuresis (NE) have been found to have sleep fragmentation and a high incidence of periodic limb movements in sleep (PLMS). This study explored the association of monosymptomatic NE and polyuria in relation to fluid intake, bladder volume, number of wet nights, and number of nights with polyuria to the frequency of PLMS and cortical arousals during sleep. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty children with monosymptomatic NE and polyuria were enrolled in the study. Enuretic parameters were determined by diaries, forced drinking, uroflow, and ultrasound examination. All subjects participated in one polysomnographic study. The number of cortical arousals and PLMS were compared with those recorded in a former pilot study which included only children with refractory NE. RESULTS: Of the 30 children who participated in the study, the mean age was 10.43 ± 3.08 (range 6-16) years, and 23 were boys. The PLMS index was positively associated with the arousal index and the awakening index (p < 0.001). No significant association between the sleep and the enuretic parameters was found. Children with refractory NE showed a significantly higher PLMS index (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We found that PLMS and cortical arousals in sleep were increased in children with monosymptomatic NE and polyuria, without a significant association with the enuretic parameters. These observations suggest the presence of a comorbid mechanism driven by a common, independent pacemaker. We hypothesize the autonomic system, its sympathetic branch, and the dopaminergic system as candidates for this pacemaker.

Renal bladder ultrasound evaluation in monosymptomatic primary nocturnal enuresis: is it really necessary?

BACKGROUND: Published guidelines regarding radiographic imaging in the evaluation of monosymptomatic primary nocturnal enuresis (MPNE) are not followed. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of urological abnormalities on renal/bladder ultrasound (RBUS) in children with MPNE and to compare the RBUS findings in children with and without MPNE. METHODS: Retrospective data collection in all children aged 5-17 years seen for the initial evaluation of MPNE. Control group consisted of age- and sex-matched children who had abdominal ultrasound for other than bladder-/kidney-related causes. RBUS findings were analyzed with regard to the need for intervention and/or follow-up. RESULTS: While abnormalities on RBUS were seen in 12.54% of enuretic children and in 5.38% of controls (p = 0.004), the majority of these findings were clinically insignificant. Of those with abnormalities, only 4 enuretic children (1.43%) required intervention and 8 (2.87%) needed follow-up studies. These rates were not significantly different from the controls. However, enuretic children with RBUS abnormalities appear to be more resistant to treatment than enuretic children with normal RBUS (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: A small proportion of abnormalities seen on RBUS in children with MPNE require intervention and/or further evaluation. The identification of insignificant RBUS findings could lead to unnecessary additional investigations owing to parental concern. Detailed history and a voiding diary may be sufficient in the initial evaluation of children with MPNE, although RBUS may play an important role in patients who are resistant to treatment.

Monosymptomatic and non-monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis: a clinical evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Nocturnal enuresis is divided into monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (MNE) and non-monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (NMNE). This study reviews clinical and ultrasonography (US) findings in enuretic children, and compares the organic and functional pathologies of the lower urinary tract (LUT) in children with MNE to those who have NMNE. METHODS: We enrolled 111 neurologically normal children with chief complaints of enuresis in this study. Participants included 60 boys and 51 girls, aged 5 - 17 years. There were 43 (38.8%) patients diagnosed with MNE and 68(61.2)% with NMNE. Urine analysis, urine culture and kidney-bladder US were performed for patients. Some patients underwent a voiding cystoureterography (VCUG), urodynamic study (UDS), or both.  RESULTS: Patients were divided into three groups: i) MNE, ii) NMNE without daytime incontinence (NMNE - daytime incontinence), and iii) NMNE plus daytime incontinence (NMNE + daytime incontinence). Constipation (P = 0.011), encopresis (P = 0.003) and urge incontinence (P = 0.001) were significantly more frequent in patients with NMNE +daytime incontinence. Bladder wall thickness (BWT) was the most common US finding. One patient with MNE and 9 with NMNE+ daytime incontinence had vesicoureteral reflux (VUR; P = 0.016). Posterior urethral valve (PUV) was reported in one patient with NMNE.  Evidence of bladder dysfunction was noted in about half of the patients who underwent UDS, with a higher prevalence in cases that had NMNE +daytime incontinence (P = 0.297). Bowel symptoms and VUR were significantly more prevalent in cases with NMNE + daytime incontinence.  CONCLUSION: We recommend VCUG in enuretic children who have daytime incontinence. In addition our study has revealed that symptoms suggestive of an overactive bladder (OAB) are not good indicators for bladder dysfunction.

Predictors of severity and treatment response in children with monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis receiving behavioral therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of bladder volume and bladder wall thickness measurement by ultrasound in assessing severity and predicting response to behavioral therapy in children with monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis. METHODS: 122 children (68 boys and 54 girls) aged 5-9 years underwent ultrasound evaluation of bladder volume and bladder wall thickness, followed by calculation of the bladder volume wall thickness index (BVWI). They were treated using first-line management (behavioral therapy) for 4 months. Correlation of severity and treatment response to ultrasound bladder measurements was investigated. RESULTS: Only 74 children completed the study: 16 showed complete response to treatment, 25 good response, 18 partial response, and 15 children showed no response. Age, gender and location of residence did not correlate to severity or to treatment response. Ultrasound measured bladder volume also did not correlate to either severity or response. Bladder wall thickness showed a strong correlation to both severity and response to treatment, as did BVWI. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound measured bladder wall thickness and BVWI are strongly associated with the severity of nocturnal enuresis and are highly predictive of treatment response to behavioral therapy. It is recommended that any child with monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis should undergo an abdominal ultrasound examination before starting treatment.

Ultrasonographic bladder measurements can replace urodynamic study for the diagnosis of non-monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare urodynamic (UD) and ultrasonography (US)-based measurements for the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with non-monosymptomatic primary nocturnal enuresis (NMPNE). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 455 enuretic children (282 boys and 173 girls, mean age 9.58 years) with daytime voiding symptoms and with more than one void per night. In healthy children the upper limits for US-measured bladder wall thickness are 3 and 5 mm for a full or empty bladder, respectively. In 419 children the results showed urodynamic signs of an overactive bladder (OAB) and the US-measured bladder wall was thickened. After 6 months of antimuscarinic treatment, we re-assessed the children with US and UD; the relation between UD and US measurements was confirmed. After analysing these data, we considered the use of a new diagnostic assessment for patients with NMPNE. In children with a significant US measurement, i.e. a bladder wall with a thickness of >3 mm (full bladder) and >5 mm (empty bladder), the diagnostic assessment was concluded and therapy was started. We restricted the UD examination exclusively to those patients who either had severe intractable symptoms or did not respond to treatment. This new management was applied to 453 patients with NMPNE. After the first 6 months of therapy all the patients were assessed with a new US study. RESULTS: In all, 343 patients (75.7%) were full-responders, with a normal bladder wall thickness; 82 (18.1%) were partial responders but with no normalization of bladder wall thickness; only 28 (6.2%) were classified as nonresponders with a persistent thickened bladder wall. CONCLUSIONS: We favour a more conservative management: the UD study should be limited to the very few patients who either have severe intractable symptoms or do not respond to treatment. In our experience, the US study, which is not invasive, is useful for the diagnosis and follow-up of NMPNE and it is preferable to the UD study, which is invasive and often traumatic for children.