Psychosomatic problems in urology.

The intimate relationship between the urinary and genital systems permits stimuli in one system to influence the other. At least 15 per cent of women with symptoms of cystitis have no organic basis for their complaints. In psychiatric studies it has been noted that sexual conflict is the primary etiological factor in these patients. In some cases, continuance of the disorder leads to irreversible organic change. Urinary symptoms such as frequency, urgency, burning or retention are most common in women and become an automatic response to anxiety-provoking or sexual stimuli. In men, functional urinary symptoms are relatively infrequent. Often they indicate problems of genital dysfunction. Complaints of impotence, penile pain, testicular pain, or non-specific urethritis stem back to difficulties in their sexual lives. Many of the patients have symptoms of a generalized anxiety tension state due to sexual problems.A purely organic consideration of genitourinary disorders will lead to erroneous conclusions and unsatisfactory therapeutic results. The psychosomatic approach-that is, considering both physical and psychological aspects-will explain many hitherto difficult cases.