Urodynamic findings in women with insensible incontinence.

OBJECTIVES

To define the urodynamic study findings among women with insensible urinary incontinence.

METHODS

Women complaining of insensible incontinence who underwent urodynamics at our center were identified. Coexisting symptoms of stress incontinence, urgency incontinence and/or mixed incontinence were recorded. The primary outcome was the urodynamic study finding. Urodynamic stress incontinence, detrusor overactivity incontinence, combination of both or neither (no incontinence) were the possible diagnoses.

RESULTS

A total of 58% of patients had insensible incontinence alone and 42% had insensible incontinence combined with other urinary incontinence symptoms. Of the patients with insensible incontinence alone, 37% had no incontinence on urodynamics, whereas urodynamic stress incontinence was diagnosed in 52%. Isolated urodynamic stress incontinence was found in 73% of patients with insensible and stress incontinence symptoms. In patients with insensible plus urgency incontinence, isolated detrusor overactivity incontinence and detrusor overactivity incontinence with urodynamic stress incontinence were found in the same percentage of women (40% each). In patients with symptoms including stress urinary incontinence, stress incontinence was the predominant urodynamic finding.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients who have incontinence symptoms in addition to insensible incontinence, these symptoms are highly predictive of urodynamic findings. In particular, women with insensible incontinence, concomitant stress incontinence symptoms are most predictive of urodynamic findings (i.e. urodynamic stress urinary incontinence). In contrast, where insensible incontinence represents the only symptom, urodynamic findings vary widely, with a significant proportion having non-diagnostic studies.