The new device--CoreFlow Soft Stent--was used for diagnosis of causes of incomplete bladder emptying (IBE) in 19 men with neurogenic diseases. Group 1 consisted of 8 men with IBE and prostatic adenoma. Group 2 consisted of 11 men with IBE but no prostatic adenoma. The CoreFlow Soft Stent comprises an introducer and a stent. Different active lengths of the stent are available to match it to the length of the prostatic urethra. The stent has an anchoring balloon situated in the bladder and a second anchor located distally to the external sphincter. CoreFlow was introduced in a similar way as an ordinary Foley catheter. The bladder was filled with 200 ml of saline solution through the introducer and the stent. The introducer part was then separated from the stent part positioned in the prostatic urethra. The stent part is connected to the integral pull-thread device which runs through the urethra ending outside the meatus. Reposition of the stent using the special thread opens the striated urethral sphincter. Out of 8 patients with prostatic adenoma and neurogenic diseases 4 could urinate with the stent part positioned in the prostatic urethra indicating that prostatic adenoma was the cause for IBE. These patients have undergone TUR. The other 4 patients of group 1 and 11 patients of group 2 could urinate only using Valsalva manoeuvre and after reposition of the stent for opening the striated urethral sphincter. This allowed us to conclude that these 15 patients suffered from detrusor underactivity. Our experience indicates that CoreFlow Soft Stent is a simple device for diagnosis of the causes of IBE in men with neurogenic diseases.

The trial of efficacy of trospium chloride (TC) in a dose of 45 mg/day in females with overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms preserved after genital prolapse (GP) surgical correction included 28 females (age 55-82, mean age 68.07 +/- 12 years). GP was corrected by means of vaginal hysterectomy and anterior colporraphy. Treatment results were assessed 3 months after surgery basing on urine diary. Overall TC efficacy reached 82%. Symptoms attenuated in patients with and without detrusor overactivity: voiding frequency reduced by 31 and 24%, imperative voidings reduced by 26 and 8%, mean urine volume rose by 28 and 19%, respectively. Side effects were mild. TC demonstrated good efficacy in OAB patients, it noticeably improved quality of life.

: The aim of the study was to investigate safety and efficacy of spasmex (trospium chloride) in patients with idiopathic and neurogenic detrusor overactivity. The study included 66 patients with idiopathic and neurogenic detrusor overactivity. The diagnostic scheme consisted of voiding dairy for 72 hours, laboratory tests, ultrasound investigation with measurement of residual urine volume, urodynamic investigation and neurologic examination. The patients were divided into 4 groups: 15 patients with idiopathic detrusor overactivity (DOA), 16 with neurogenic DOA, 23 with combination of DOA with benign prostatic hyperplasia, 12 with overactive bladder without DOA. Initial trospium chloride dose of 15 mg/day (5 mg 3 times a day) followed by dose titration to obtain clinical efficacy was used under residual urine volume control every week. The maximal dose was 45 mg. After 12 weeks reduction of micturation frequency was registered in all the groups. Administration of small dose trospium chloride (15 mg) resulted in subjective improvement in 63 (94.5%) patients. Only 3 patients persisted with the symptoms in whom the dose was raised to 30 mg and then to 45 mg/day. Thus, spasmex demonstrated high efficacy in patients with bladder overactivity. High efficacy and safety with low cost make spasmex a drug of choice in the majority of patients with overactive bladder symptoms.

Registration of evoked brain potentials was used as a non-invasive and an objective method of diagnosis of the CNS diseases. Somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) in response to stimulation of the tibial nerve were studied in patients with hyperactive urinary bladder (HUB) to clarify SSEP role in prognosis of tibial neuromodulation (TNM) efficacy. Urodynamic parameters and SSEP were examined in 13 patients with symptoms of urinary accumulation disorders. Neurogenic HUB was diagnosed in 6 patients, idiopathic one--in 7 patients. TNM was delivered in 30-min weekly sessions (n = 12). Six of seven patients with a cortical potential responded to TNM. Of six cortical nonresponders a positive result was achieved only in two. Thus, patients with the cortical potential demonstrate better effect of TNM than those without the potential. It is suggested that TNM influences both sacral and supraspinal center of urination.

Botulinic toxin (BT) is a new method of lowering intraurethral pressure in symptoms of obstructive voiding in patients with neurogenic dysfunction of the lower urinary tracts (LUT). Transperineal introduction of 100 units of BT type A (botox, Allergan) was used under electromyographic control into the external urethral sphincter of 9 patients (6 males and 3 females) with LUT neurogenic dysfunction aged 17 to 68 years (mean age 37.2 years). Two patients had subnormal detrusor contractility due to myelodysplasia and diabetic polyneuropathy, two other patients--non-incontinent striated urethral sphincter after hemorrhagic stroke and spinal contusion, five patients suffered from detrusor-sphincteral dyssynergia (DSD) resultant from Schmorl's hernia, multiple sclerosis, Charcot-Marie disease and ischemic stroke of the spinal cord. Three patients had cystostomic drainage. The rest of the patients complained of dysuria, three patients performed self-catheterization, mean volume of the residual urine was 170 ml (180-240 ml). In 10 days residual urine was not found in 2 patients with subnormal detrusor contractility and in 4 patients with DSD. Abdominal pressure fell from 75 to 39 cm, on the average. In DSD patients maximal detrusor pressure fell from 59 to 29 cm, on the average. Mean maximal urinary flow rate rose from 4.3 to 9.6 ml/s. In 20 days, on the average, suprapubic fistula healed in all the patients. In a month, therapeutic effect persisted in all the patients. Complications, side effects were not registered. BT treatment to induce adequate urine evacuation in neurological patients is a promising approach in neurourology. Further studies should find answers to questions about regimen of BT introduction, loss of sensitivity, new indications in urology.