Electromyographic abnormalities in the urethral and anal sphincters of women with idiopathic retention of urine.

Previous concentric needle studies of the urethral sphincter in women with idiopathic urinary retention have found evidence of denervation and reinnervation as well as abnormal patterns of muscle fibre discharge--complex repetitive discharges (CRDs). In order to test the hypothesis that these abnormalities represented a more widespread disease process of pelvic floor function, we carried out an electromyographic (EMG) study of both anal and urethral sphincters in 18 women with idiopathic urinary retention. The urethral sphincter EMG was abnormal in 15 patients. These abnormalities included polyphasic and long duration potentials. Complex repetitive discharges were identified in 8 women. However, abnormalities of the anal sphincter were found in 14 of the 15 patients with abnormal urethral sphincter EMGs, polyphasic and abnormally long duration potentials being found in the anal sphincters of all 14 patients. In addition, 7 of the 8 women who had complex repetitive discharges in the urethral sphincters had similar complex repetitive discharges in their anal sphincters. Women with complex repetitive discharges had a significantly greater proportion of abnormal potentials than women with no such repetitive discharges. These results support the previous findings of electromyographic urethral sphincter abnormalities in women with idiopathic urinary retention, but also suggest that these abnormalities reflect a widespread disease process involving the pelvic floor in such patients.