Extracorporeal Magnetic Innervation Therapy in Children with Refractory Monosymptomatic Nocturnal Enuresis

Abstract

Objectives To evaluate the effect of extracorporeal magnetic innervation (ExMI) therapy in children with refractory monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (MNE). Methods A total of 55 children (34 boys and 21 girls, median age 8.0 years, range 5 to 13) who wetted the bed more than twice per week because of MNE that was refractory to treatment with desmopressin, anticholinergics, and enuretic alarm were assessed prospectively using a voiding diary before and after ExMI, administered once a week for at least 4 weeks with a size-adjusted magnetic chair (each session lasted 20 minutes). Results After all sessions of ExMI, the mean frequency of nocturnal enuresis decreased significantly to 2.09 ± 2.47 in all patients ( P = 0.04), and the mean functional bladder capacity increased 1.88 times in all patients ( P = 0.00). In total, 63.6% of our patients had a nocturnal enuresis frequency of less than 50% after a mean of 6.62 ± 4.26 ExMI sessions. Conclusions From our results, reduced functional bladder capacity might be the main pathophysiologic cause in children with MNE refractory to established treatment. ExMI might have an acute inhibitory effect in these children with refractory MNE by increasing functional bladder capacity. However, long-term follow-up data and controlled study with a sham-stimulation group are necessary to determine the durability of this new therapy for refractory MNE.