A urodynamic analysis of micturition symptoms in the female.

The presenting symptoms of 570 females with micturition disorders have been studied with particular reference to the urodynamic state of the detrusor in an attempt to define those symptoms and symptom complexes which are associated with the presence of absence of detrusor instability. The results show that patients who complain of recurrent urinary tract infection or stress incontinence in the absence of any other micturition symptoms usually have stable bladders and do not require cystometric confirmation of this fact. When the symptom of urge incontinence is associated with persistent frequency and nocturia, there is a high correlation with detrusor instability, although hypersensitive urethral states which may present with identical symptoms and are usually associated with stable bladders are difficult to differentiate clinically. Groups of patients in whom it was difficult to predict the detrusor state from the symptoms were studied, and the results of a prospective analysis, predicting the detrusor state from the micturition history of 230 incontinent females, have been presented.