BACKGROUND: Despite the fact that functional lower urinary tract symptoms are common among people with Down syndrome (DS), their voiding function has not been studied precisely.
Our goal was to assess the lower urinary tract functions in DS.
METHODS: Fifty-five DS children aged 5 to 15 years old and 35 age-matched control children were evaluated by ultrasonography and uroflowmetry.
RESULTS: Eleven (20%) DS children had no uresiesthesia, 21 (38%) were urinated under guidance, 9 (16%) urinated less than three times a day, 2 (4%) urinated more than ten times a day, 3 (5%) used diaper, and 26 (47%) had urinary incontinence. Seven (13%), 15 (27%), and 10 (18%) DS children had weak, prolonged and intermittent urination, respectively, and 7 (13%) had urination with straining. In contrast, none of the control subjects had urinary problems. In the uroflowmetrical analysis, 10 (18%), 20 (37%), 11 (20%) and 5 (9%) DS children showed "bell-shaped", "plateau", "staccato" and "interrupted" patterns, respectively; the remaining 9 (16%) could not be analyzed. In contrast, 21 (60%), one (3%), 4 (11%), 3(9%) and 2(6%) control subjects showed "bell-shaped", "tower-shaped", "plateau", "staccato" and "interrupted" patterns, respectively; the remaining 4 (11%) could not be analyzed. Residual urine was demonstrated in 4 (7%) DS and 1 (3%) control children.
CONCLUSIONS: Lower urinary tract symptoms and abnormal uroflowmetry findings, which can lead to further progressive renal and urinary disorders, are common in DS children. Therefore, lower urinary tract functions should be assessed at the life-long regular medical checkups for subjects with DS.
Written by:
Kitamura A, Kondoh T, Noguchi M, Hatada T, Tohbu S, Mori KI, Matsuo M, Kunitsugu I, Kanetake H, Moriuchi H. Are you the author?
Department of Pediatrics, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Nagasaki, Japan; Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology , Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Nagasaki, Japan.
Reference: Pediatr Int. 2014 Apr 24. Epub ahead of print.
doi: 10.1111/ped.12367
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 24758352
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