Chronic Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Research Articles

Foreign Bodies in the Urinary Bladder and Their Management: A Single-Centre Experience From North India.

PurposeThis study was performed to characterise the nature, clinical presentation, mode of insertion, and management of intravesical foreign bodies in patients treated at our hospital.MethodsBetween January 2008 and December 2014, 49 patients were treated for intravesical foreign bodies at King George Medical University, Lucknow. All records of these patients were retrospectively analysed to characterise the nature of the foreign body, each patient’s clinical presentation, the mode of insertion, and how the case was managed.ResultsA total of 49 foreign bodies were retrieved from patients’ urinary bladders during the study period. The patients ranged in age from 11 to 68 years. Thirty-three patients presented with complaints of haematuria (67.3%), 29 complained of frequency of urination and dysuria (59.1%), and 5 patients reported pelvic pain (10.2%). The circumstances of insertion were iatrogenic in 20 cases (40.8%), self-insertion in 17 cases (34.6%), sexual abuse in 4 cases (8.1%), migration from another organ in 4 cases (8.1%), and assault in 4 cases (8.1%). Of the foreign bodies, 33 (67.3%) were retrieved by cystoscopy, while transurethral cystolitholapaxy was required in 10 patients (20.4%), percutaneous suprapubic cystolitholapaxy was performed in 4 patients (8.1%), and holmium laser lithotripsy was performed in 2 patients (4.08%).ConclusionsForeign bodies should always be included in the differential diagnosis when evaluating a patient who presents with chronic lower urinary tract symptoms. A large percentage of foreign bodies can be retrieved using endoscopic techniques. Open surgical removal may be performed in cases where endoscopic techniques are unsuitable or have failed.

Key Messages of Urodynamic Studies in Cases of Urinary Incontinence and Pelvic Organ Prolapse: A Retrospective Review

ABSTRACTObjectivesThere is conflicting evidence regarding the indications of urodynamic studies (UDS) and various guidelines. American urogynecologic Society (AUGS), National Instititute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and WHO provide variant indications for UDS testing. For developing countries, there are no data to support the usefulness of UDS. Considering the cost, invasiveness, and expertise required for UDS, we planned to review UDS performed at Aga Khan University and Hospital (AKUH) from 2007 to 2014. Our purpose of study was to derive important conclusive messages as a guideline for future practices.Study designThis is a cross-sectional retrospective review of 500 patients undergoing UDS from 2007 to 2014.ResultsComparison between clinical diagnoses and urodynamic diagnoses was done and frequencies were computed. The mean age of the patients was 61.1 years, the mean body mass index was 25 and mean parity was 4.1. There was a matching between clinical and urodynamic findings of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and overactive bladder (OAB), but disparity was observed in cases of mixed urinary incontinence (MUI) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Occult SUI was found in 33% of patients with POP.ConclusionKey messages were derived for future practice stating that for cases of SUI and OAB, UDS are not required, but patients with complex MUI, chronic LUTS, and neurogenic bladder warrant UDS.How to cite this articleChughtai NG, Rizvi RM, Kashif U. Key Messages of Urodynamic Studies in Cases of Urinary Incontinence and Pelvic Organ Prolapse: A Retrospective Review. J South Asian Feder Obst Gynae 2016;8(4):299-303.

Chronic Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Women: Classification of Abnormalities and Value of Dedicated MRI for Diagnosis

Chronic lower urinary tract symptoms are common in women. We present a classification of abnormalities that can be considered in the differential diagnosis for lower urinary tract symptoms and can show the value of dedicated state-of-the art MRI in the workup of patients. Dedicated MRI tailored to patient symptoms and clinical findings has the potential to map out morphologic causes and categorize dysfunctional conditions from those that are truly nonmorphologic.

Chronic lower urinary tract symptoms in young men without symptoms of chronic prostatitis: urodynamic analyses in 308 men aged 50 years or younger.

PurposeWe investigated the etiologies of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and compared urodynamic characteristics between different diagnostic groups in young men with chronic LUTS.Materials and MethodsWe reviewed the medical records of 308 men aged 18 to 50 years who had undergone a urodynamic study for chronic LUTS (≥6 months) without symptoms suggestive of chronic prostatitis.ResultsThe men's mean age was 40.4 (±10.1) years and their mean duration of symptoms was 38.8 (±49.2) months. Urodynamic evaluation demonstrated voiding phase dysfunction in 62.1% of cases (primary bladder neck dysfunction [PBND] in 26.0%, dysfunctional voiding [DV] in 23.4%, and detrusor underactivity [DU]/acontractile detrusor [AD] in 12.7%) and a single storage phase dysfunction in 36.4% of cases (detrusor overactivity [DO] in 13.3%, small cystometric capacity in 17.9%, and reduced bladder sensation in 5.2%). Most of the demographic characteristics and clinical symptoms did not differ between these diagnostic groups. Whereas 53.9% of patients with voiding dysfunction had concomitant storage dysfunction, 69.6% of those with storage dysfunction had concomitant voiding dysfunction. Men with DV or DU/AD exhibited lower maximum cystometric capacity than did those with normal urodynamics. Low bladder compliance was most frequent among patients with PBND (10.0%, p=0.025). In storage dysfunctions, men with DO exhibited higher detrusor pressure during voiding than did those with other storage dysfunctions (p<0.01).ConclusionsBecause clinical symptoms are not useful for predicting the specific urodynamic etiology of LUTS in this population, urodynamic investigation can help to make an accurate diagnosis and, potentially, to guide appropriate treatment.

Urodynamic characterization of lower urinary tract symptoms in men less than 40 years of age

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in young men are becoming a more recognized urologic issue that can arise from many causes, each with their own management strategy. The purpose of this study was to determine the rates and types of voiding dysfunction causing LUTS in men under 40 years. Videourodynamic studies (VUDS) of 87 men 40 years of age or less with LUTS for greater than 6 months, performed between July 2004 and June 2012 at Weill Cornell Medical College, were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with culture-proven bacterial prostatitis, symptoms for less than 6 months, a history of neurologic disease, or previous urological surgery affecting voiding function were excluded from the analysis. The mean age of the patients was 31.84 ± 5.78. There were 37 patients that presented with more than one urinary symptom (42.5 %). The most frequent complaints included: urinary frequency (N = 42, 48.28 %), difficulty with urination (N = 41, 47.13 %), and urinary urgency (N = 21, 24.14 %). The most common urodynamic abnormality was bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) (N = 37, 42.53 %), dysfunctional voiding (N = 25, 28.74 %), detrusor underactivity (N = 10, 11.49 %), and detrusor overactivity (N = 7, 8.05 %). There were no differences seen in AUA symptom and quality of life scores across diagnosis groups. Lower urinary tract symptoms can present in younger men with a variety of types of voiding dysfunction. This study uses VUDS to show that the most common types of voiding dysfunction in this population with chronic LUTS are BOO followed by dysfunctional voiding.

Spectrum of Bacterial Colonization Associated with Urothelial Cells from Patients with Chronic Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms

Chronic lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), such as urgency and incontinence, are common, especially among the elderly, but their etiology is often obscure. Recent studies of acute urinary tract infections implicated invasion by Escherichia coli into the cytoplasm of urothelial cells, with persistence of long-term bacterial reservoirs, but the role of infection in chronic LUTS is unknown. We conducted a large prospective study with eligible patients with LUTS and controls over a 3-year period, comparing routine urine cultures of planktonic bacteria with cultures of shed urothelial cells concentrated in centrifuged urinary sediments. This comparison revealed large numbers of bacteria undetected by routine cultures. Next, we typed the bacterial species cultured from patient and control sediments under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions, and we found that the two groups had complex but significantly distinct profiles of bacteria associated with their shed bladder epithelial cells. Strikingly, E. coli, the organism most responsible for acute urinary tract infections, was not the only or even the main offending pathogen in this more-chronic condition. Antibiotic protection assays with shed patient cells and in vitro infection studies using patient-derived strains in cell culture suggested that LUTS-associated bacteria are within or extremely closely associated with shed epithelial cells, which explains how routine cultures might fail to detect them. These data have strong implications for the need to rethink our common diagnoses and treatments of chronic urinary tract symptoms.

Discrediting microscopic pyuria and leucocyte esterase as diagnostic surrogates for infection in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms: results from a clinical and laboratory evaluation

WHAT'S KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT? AND WHAT DOES THE STUDY ADD?: Microscopic pyuria is widely used as a surrogate marker of infection, although there is little data supporting its use in patients who present with non-acute LUTS. The effects of urinary storage, preservation, and the use of laboratory methods to enhance leucocyte detection, are also unclear. This large, prospective study highlights the poor performance of dipstick urine analysis, and direct microscopy, as surrogate markers of UTI in patients with LUTS. A series of laboratory analyses also examine the effects of urine handling and processing on test integrity, which have important implications for clinical practice. To evaluate the diagnostic performance of pyuria as a surrogate marker of urinary tract infection (UTI) in patients with chronic lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), and determine the impact of sample storage, cytocentrifugation, and staining techniques, on test performance. Between 2008 and 2011, we recruited 1223 patients (120 men; 1103 women; mean age 54 years) with one or more LUTS from a specialist urological outpatient service. We conducted a prospective observational study to determine the performance of microscopic pyuria ≥10 wbc/μL as a surrogate marker of UTI in patients with LUTS. All patients provided clean-catch midstream urine (MSU) samples for analysis, and routine microbiological cultures were used as our reference standard. We also scrutinised the performance of dipstick leucocyte esterase ≥ 'trace' in the detection of microscopic pyuria. The influence of sample handling and processing on test performance was examined in a series of laboratory studies. The effects of storage on leucocyte decay were determined using repeated microscopic assessments of individual urine samples, to plot temporal changes in leucocyte numbers. This study used varied storage conditions (≈20 °C and 4 °C), and boric acid preservation. Paired microscopic assessments were used to determine the effects of centrifugation on leucocyte salvage in spun/unspun samples (relative centrifugal force range 39-157 g). Similar methods were used to assess microscopic leucocyte quantification in stained/unstained urine (Sternheimer-Malbin protocol). The positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of pyuria as a surrogate marker of UTI were 0.40 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.37-0.43) and 0.75 (95% CI 0.73-0.76), respectively. The dipstick was unable to identify significant microscopic pyuria (≥10 wbc/μL) in 60% of the samples: PPV 0.51 (95% CI 0.48-0.55); NPV 0.75 (95% CI 0.73-0.76). Microscopic pyuria performed poorly as a surrogate of UTI defined by bacterial culture. Whilst refrigeration and preservation did retard leucocyte loss (F = 11; DF = 2; P < 0.001), 40% of cells were still lost by 4 h. Centrifugation had an unpredictable influence on cell salvage (coefficient of variation 5750%) and the use of staining to improve leucocyte detection proved ineffective (Z = -0.356; P = 0.72). Pyuria performs badly as a surrogate of UTI in patients with LUTS. This is exacerbated by cell loss during storage, and neither centrifugation, nor staining, appears to confer any diagnostic advantage. Clinicians should be alerted to the significant limitations of these tests.

Urodynamic findings in young men with chronic lower urinary tract symptoms

Urodynamic findings in young men with chronic lower urinary tract symptoms

MR Imaging–guided Cryoablation for the Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

A patient with benign prostatic hyperplasia presented with chronic lower urinary tract symptoms despite prior surgery and continued medical therapy. Using a magnetic resonance imaging–guided transperineal approach, two cryoprobes were placed into the transition zone of the prostate gland, and two cryoablation freeze-thaw cycles were performed. At 10 weeks after treatment, the frequency of nocturia had decreased from once every 1.5 hours to once per night, urinary peak flow rates had increased from 5.1 mL/s to 10.3 mL/s, and postvoid residual urinary bladder volume had decreased from 187 mL to 58 mL. Improved flow rates and symptoms remained stable 16 weeks after treatment.

UP-03.209 Urodynamic Findings in Young Men with Chronic Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms

UP-03.209 Urodynamic Findings in Young Men with Chronic Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms

Obesity Increases and Physical Activity Decreases Lower Urinary Tract Symptom Risk in Older Men: The Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study

BackgroundTwo potential targets for preventing chronic lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in older men are obesity and physical activity. ObjectiveTo examine associations of adiposity and physical activity with incident LUTS in community-dwelling older men. Design, setting, and participantsThe Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study (MrOS) is a prospective cohort of men ≥65 yr of age. MrOS participants without LUTS and a history of LUTS treatment at baseline were included in this analysis. MeasurementsAdiposity was measured with body mass index (BMI), physical activity with the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) and self-report of daily walking, and LUTS with the American Urological Association Symptom Index. Results and limitationsThe mean age (standard deviation [SD]) of the 1695 participants was 72 (5) yr at baseline. At a mean (SD) follow-up of 4.6 (0.5) yr, 524 (31%) of men reported incident LUTS. In multivariate analyses, compared with men of normal weight at baseline (BMI <25kg/m2), overweight (BMI: 25.0–29.9kg/m2) and obese (≥30kg/m2)men were 29% (adjusted odds ratio [ORadj]: 1.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00–1.68) and 41% (ORadj: 1.41; 95% CI, 1.03–1.93) more likely to develop LUTS, respectively. Men in the highest quartile of physical activity were 29% (ORadj: 0.71; 95% CI, 0.53–0.97) and those who walked daily 20% (ORadj: 0.80; 95% CI, 0.65–0.98) less likely than their sedentary peers to develop LUTS, adjusting for BMI. The homogeneous composition of MrOS potentially diminishes the external validity of these results. ConclusionsIn older men, obesity and higher physical activity are associated with increased and decreased risks of incident LUTS, respectively. Prevention of chronic urinary symptoms represents another potential health benefit of exercise in elderly men.

Urodynamic findings in young men with chronic lower urinary tract symptoms

To assess frequency of urodynamic abnormalities in young men with chronic lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). We assessed 456 men (18-40 years old) with chronic LUTS. Those with the history of urogenital malignancies, neurological disease, urethral stricture or trauma, acute UTI, congenital urological disease, and diabetes mellitus were excluded. Patients were classified by special urodynamic diagnosis. Mean patient age was 25.8 ± 5.9 years old and the mean symptom duration was 12.3 ± 3.2 months. Urodynamic studies showed bladder neck dysfunction in 96 of cases (21%), dysfunctional voiding in 69 (15.1%), detrusor overactivity in 62 (13.6%), small cystometric capacity in 49 (10.7%), and acontractile detrusor in 48 (10.5%), underactive detrusor in 11 (2.4%), low compliance in 18 (3.9%), detrusor overactivity plus acontractile detrusor in 6 (1.3%), low compliance plus small cystometric capacity in 5 (1.0%), detrusor overactivity plus small cystometric capacity together with low compliance in 4 (0.8%), low compliance plus Underactive detrusor in 3 (0.6%) and normal urodynamics in 85 (18.6%). Mean Q(max) in patients with bladder neck dysfunction, dysfunctional voiding, underactive detrusor, acontractile detrusor, underactive detrusor plus low compliance, and acontractile detrusor plus detrusor overactivity were lower than those of the other groups. Mean postvoid residues in patients with underactive detrusor, and underactive detrusor plus low compliance, were higher than those in the remaining groups. Positive four-glass test in patient with normal urodynamic was greater than those in the remaining groups. A few clinical symptoms or noninvasive tests were useful in young men with chronic LUTS; hence, urodynamics are advised to make the correct diagnosis in this regard.

Advances in the role of sacral nerve neuromodulation in lower urinary tract symptoms

Sacral neuromodulation has been developed to treat chronic lower urinary tract symptoms, resistant to classical conservative therapy. The suspected mechanisms of action include afferent stimulation of the central nervous system and modulation of activity at the level of the brain. Typical neuromodulation is indicated both in overactivity and in underactivity of the lower urinary tract. In the majority of patients, a unilateral electrode in a sacral foramen and connected to a pulse generator is sufficient to achieve significant clinical results also on long term. In recent years, other urological indications have been explored.

The Inadequacy of Urinary Dipstick and Microscopy as Surrogate Markers of Urinary Tract Infection in Urological Outpatients With Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Without Acute Frequency and Dysuria

Diagnosing urinary infection in patients with chronic lower urinary tract symptoms without dysuria is a critical step. In this study we scrutinize the sensitivity and specificity of dipstick urinalysis and microscopic pyuria (10 or more white blood cells per microl) to identify infection in such patients. This was a prospective, blinded, observational cohort study of urological outpatients with painless lower urinary tract symptoms. Midstream and catheter urine samples were analyzed. A total of 508 midstream urine samples were used to compare leukocyte esterase, nitrite dipstick and urine microscopy with cultures seeking 10(5) cfu/ml. Similarly 470 catheter urine samples were used to compare the same surrogates with 10(5) cfu/ml and with an enhanced culture method seeking 10(2) cfu/ml. A comparison of leukocyte esterase against microscopic pyuria was made using the 508 midstream and 470 catheter specimens of urine. Midstream urine specimens were provided by 42 normal volunteers for comparison. For a midstream urine culture at 10(5) cfu/ml leukocyte esterase was 56% sensitive, nitrite was 10% sensitive and microscopic pyuria was 56% sensitive. Specificities were 66%, 99% and 72%, respectively. For a catheter specimen of urine culture at 10(5) cfu/ml leukocyte esterase was 59% sensitive, nitrite was 20% sensitive and microscopic pyuria was 66% sensitive. Specificities were 84%, 97% and 73%, respectively. The enhanced culture of catheter specimen of urine at 10(2) cfu/ml was positive in 29% of patients vs 15% at 10(5) cfu/ml. Despite official guidelines and widespread use these tests cannot be considered appropriate for diagnosing urinary tract infection in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms, and should be abandoned in this context.

Modified Transurethral Incision of the Bladder Neck Treating Primary Bladder Neck Obstruction in Young Men: A Method to Improve Voiding Function and to Preserve Antegrade Ejaculation

Objectives: To evaluate the voiding function, ejaculation status and sexual function after the novel modification of transurethral incision of the bladder neck (TIBN) treating young men with primary bladder neck obstruction (PBNO). Methods: Using a videourodynamic study, PBNO was diagnosed in 33 young men 27–50 years of age who presented with chronic lower urinary tract symptoms and low urinary flow. TIBN was performed in all patients, with the modification of preserving a portion of the supramontanal tissue during the procedure. International Prostate Symptom Score (I-PSS), quality of life, uroflowmetry, postvoid residual urine, the status of ejaculation and sexual function using the 5-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) were assessed before, 3 and 24 months after treatment. Results: Follow-up data were available in 32 (97%) and 26 (79%) patients at 3 and 24 months postoperatively, respectively. During the 2-year follow-up, mean I-PSS decreased from 20.7 to 5.9 (p < 0.01). Mean quality of life decreased from 4.2 to 2.3 (p < 0.01). Mean maximum flow increased from 10.7 to 19.2 ml/s (p < 0.01). Mean postvoiding residual urine decreased from 107 to 48 ml (p < 0.01). All patients had antegrade ejaculation postoperatively. Mean IIEF scores did not change significantly (22.6 ± 2.6 vs. 20.7 ± 4.3, p = 0.08). Successful overall outcome was achieved in 22 (84.6%) of 26 patients. Conclusions: Applying thismodified TIBN to treat the sexually active young men with PBNO had the advantage of improving voiding function and preserving both antegrade ejaculation and sexual function.

Bladder Outlet Obstruction in Women: Difficulties in the Diagnosis

Objective: To identify the difficulties in diagnosing bladder outlet obstruction in women. Material and Methods: 53 women with a mean age of 37.2 (range 16–70) with chronic lower urinary tract symptoms and no neurogenic or organic diseases were examined. The prevalent symptoms were frequency (96%), urgency (92%) and nocturia (75%), and the mean duration of symptoms was 3.8 years. After pressure-flow studies and voiding cystourethrography were conducted, patients either underwent bladder neck or urethral incisions based on their diagnosis. These patients were subsequently subjected to follow-up uroflow studies. Results: Abnormal uroflow curves were observed in 19 of 53 women. In 10 of them (52.6%), bladder outlet obstruction based on pressure-flow results was confirmed. Voiding cystourethrography results from these 19 women confirmed that 17 patients had bladder neck obstruction, while the remaining 2 had urethral obstruction. 16 of 19 were treated endoscopically, with 14 patients undergoing bladder neck incisions through the 5- and 7-o’clock positions and 2 patients having a distal urethral incision through the 12-o’clock position. In all of these 16 cases, there were both a statistical increase in the maximum flow rate (Q_max) as well as an improvement in the flow curves. Symptomatic improvement was observed in 12 of the 16 women subjected to surgical intervention. Conclusion: Bladder outlet obstruction exists in women with lower urinary tract symptoms. Pressure-flow studies and voiding cystourethrography are reliable modalities for confirming bladder outlet obstruction. Bladder outlet obstruction can be functionally or structurally caused.

Medical Treatment of BPH: An Update on Results

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common condition in older men, resulting in chronic lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) that are bothersome and cause impaired physiological and functional well-being and interference with activities of daily living. BPH is rarely life-threatening, but it can lead to acute urological problems, for example acute urinary retention (AUR). The clinical manifestations of BPH include LUTS, poor bladder emptying, urinary retention, detrusor instability, urinary tract infection, hematuria, and renal insufficiency. Surgery remains the most effective treatment for complicated or severe symptomatic BPH, especially where medical treatment has failed. Its invasive nature and potential side-effects have led to the development of potentially less traumatic techniques and the widespread adoption of medical strategies. Medical management continues to evolve and refinements are aimed at achieving reduced frequency of dosage and achieving minimal side-effects, while maintaining clinical efficacy. In the current era of male health promotion the number of men who seek and receive treatment for uncomplicated BPH continues to rise. Thus the medical management of BPH is likely to continue playing an important role in the future.

Pseudodyssynergia (Contraction of the External Sphincter During Voiding) Misdiagnosed as Chronic Nonbacterial Prostatitis and the Role of Biofeedback as a Therapeutic Option

Purpose Chronic lower urinary tract symptoms in young men are often attributed to misdiagnosed chronic nonbacterial prostatitis. We analyzed contraction of the external urinary sphincter during voiding (pseudodyssynergia) as an etiology of voiding dysfunction in men with misdiagnosed chronic prostatitis. Materials and Methods The video urodynamic studies of 43 men 23 to 50 years old with chronic voiding dysfunction secondary to pseudodyssynergia performed between January 1990 and June 1996 were retrospectively analyzed. Pseudodyssynergia was diagnosed based on several criteria, including electrical activity of the external sphincter during voiding in the absence of abdominal straining, and brief and intermittent closing of the membranous urethra during voiding detected by electromyography and fluoroscopy. Patients with bacterial infection or excessive leukocytes in expressed prostatic secretions were excluded from the study. Results Of the patients 39 (91%) were firstborn men. Duration of symptoms ranged from 17 to 146 months (mean 43.6). Average number of previous antibiotic days ranged from 53 to 186 (mean 67.6). In addition, empirical trials of alpha-blockers were unsuccessful. Mean American Urological Association symptom score plus or minus standard deviation was 17.5 +/- 3.7, mean maximum flow rate was 13.3 +/- 4.2 ml. per second, mean detrusor pressure at maximum flow was 46.3 +/- 13.7 cm. water and mean detrusor contraction duration was 132.8 +/- 27.7 seconds. Behavior modification and biofeedback were successful in decreasing symptoms in 35 patients (83%) at 6 months. Conclusions These results indicate that some men who are categorized as having and empirically treated for chronic nonbacterial prostatitis are misdiagnosed and, in fact, have functional bladder outlet obstruction. Urodynamics are helpful in diagnosing and predicting success with behavior modification and biofeedback in these patients.

Etiology of voiding dysfunction in men less than 50 years of age

Objectives Chronic lower urinary tract symptoms in young men are often attributed to misdiagnosed chronic nonbacterial prostatitis. The purpose of this study was to analyze etiology of chronic voiding dysfunction in men less than 50 years of age. Methods The videourodynamic studies of 137 men 50 years of age or less with chronic voiding dysfunction, performed between January 1990 and October 1995, were retrospectively analyzed. Results The distribution of urodynamic abnormalities included 74 (54%) patients with primary vesical neck obstruction, 33 (24%) with obstruction localized to the membranous urethra (pseudodyssynergia), 23 (17%) with impaired bladder contractility, and the remaining 7 (5%) with an acontractile bladder. Detrusor instability was present in 67 men (49%). Conclusions Voiding dysfunction among young men is common and is often misdiagnosed. Videourodynamic evaluation is very useful in establishing the correct diagnosis and ultimately in delivery of appropriate therapy.