Hyperbilirubinemia and intermittent lower urinary tract dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the effect of hyperbilirubinemia on lower urinary tract function.

METHODS

The study was conducted on 29 patients with suspected Gilbert's syndrome (GS), and who were subjected to fasting test for diagnostic purpose. The uroflowmetric test was performed after 24 h of fasting and after 24 h of hypercaloric intake.

RESULTS

After a 24 h fasting period, when bilirubin in the serum was at its highest concentration, 31% of patients had abnormal uroflowmetric patterns. Patients with abnormal uroflowmetric patterns had higher conjugated bilirubin after 24 h fasting period than patients with normal pattern (p = 0.012). After a 24 h of hypercaloric intake, all 29 patients had a normal (bell-shaped) uroflowmetric pattern.

CONCLUSIONS

The results imply that hyperbilirubinemia might be a predisposing factor for intermittent lower urinary tract dysfunction in children.