Ces Urol 2006, 10(1):27-31 | DOI: 10.48095/cccu2006007

Upper urinary tract function in patients suffering from multiple sclerosis

J. Krhut¹, P. Hradílek², K. Mainer¹, O. Zapletalová²

¹ Urologické oddělení FNsP Ostrava-Poruba

² Neurologická klinika FNsP Ostrava-Poruba

Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a systemic autoimmune disorder affecting the structures of the central nervous system (CNS). In a high proportion of cases it is also manifested by symptoms of lower urinary tract dysfunction (frequency, urgency, urgent incontinence, evacuation dysfunction). By contrast, impaired function of the upper urinary tract is reported rarely. Our aim was to analyse upper urinary tract function in our own cohort of MS patients.

Material and methods: The authors present an analysis of upper urinary tract function in a total of 148 multiple sclerosis patients (39 men, 109 women).
The mean duration of disease (period of time from the onset of persistent symptoms) was 12.6 (2-47) years. The mean value of the EDSS score (Expanded Disability Status Scale) expressing the degree of severity of disease was 4.47 (0-8.5) in our cohort. A total of 133 (89.9%) patients in our cohort reported symptoms of lower urinary tract dysfunction. The mean duration of the symptoms of lower urinary tract dysfunction was 7.19 (2-43) years.
Renal function assessment using serum creatinine clearance was performed in the patients in our cohort.

Results: The mean value of serum creatinine clearance in our cohort was 2.23ml/s/1.73 m2(0.776-8.5). Values below the lower limit of normal were recorded in 4 (3.01%) patients in our cohort. We correlated the value of creatinine clearance with the duration of symptoms, the time from diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, the duration of lower urinary tract symptoms, and the stage of disease as expressed by the EDSS score. No statistical dependence was found in any of these cases.

Conclusion: The results obtained show that while lower urinary tract dysfunctions in MS patients are very common and are among the principal symptoms of the disease, impaired function of the upper urinary tract is very rare.

Keywords: upper urinary tract function, multiple sclerosis, creatinine clearance, lower urinary tract dysfunction

Published: January 1, 2006