[Hormone therapy and urogynecology]

Ceska Gynekol. 1998 Nov;63(6):453-6.
[Article in Czech]

Abstract

The female genital and urinary systems exists in close anatomical and functional proximity, disorders of one resulting in dysfunction of the other. The investigation and management of lower urinary tract disorders must take this important relationship into consideration, as neither can be viewed in isolation. The value of estrogen replacement therapy as a treatment of urinary incontinence is controversial and until today there is a little substantial evidence to conclude that estrogen therapy alone is of value in the treatment of this symptom. This conflicting evidence concerning the therapeutic benefit of estrogen therapy in stress urinary incontinence seems to be outweighed with other advantages of estrogen replacement therapy. Clear evidence exists to suggest that recurrent urinary tract infections can be prevented or even treated by the use of estrogen therapy. Systemic estrogen replacement appears to relieve the symptoms of urgency, urge incontinence, frequency, nycturia and dysuria, and low-dose topical estrogen is effective in the management of atrophic vaginitis. Even with postulating the HRT to be of enormous therapeutic value to postmenopausal women in urogynecology it may stay only a mean of support of other causal methods of treatment of dysfunction of lower urinary tract.

Publication types

  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Estrogen Replacement Therapy*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Postmenopause
  • Urinary Incontinence, Stress / drug therapy
  • Urination Disorders / drug therapy*
  • Urination Disorders / etiology