The ice-water test in the diagnosis of detrusor-external sphincter dyssynergia.

The ice-water test (IWT) implies rapid intravesical infusion of 100 ml of sterile ice-water during continuous pressure measurement and registration of fluid leakage. In a typical positive test, there is fluid leakage around the catheter(s) during the peak of detrusor contraction elicited by cold stimulation. Seventy-six patients, the majority with different forms of spinal disorders and a clinical and urodynamically suspected detrusor-external sphincter dyssynergia, were subjected to cystometry, needle electromyography (EMG) and an ice-water test. Detrusor-external sphincter dyssynergia was found in 44 (59%) patients and 41 of them had a positive IWT. A positive test with a high detrusor pressure indicates detrusor-external sphincter dyssynergia whereas the contrary applies to the negative test. Eighteen patients who responded to cold stimulation with detrusor contraction but without fluid leakage, called positive non-leakage IWT, all presented detrusor-external sphincter dyssynergia according to EMG. In this situation, the cheap, non-invasive and simple IWT can replace a needle EMG study.