Purpose: The aim of current study was to review the consequence after introduction of clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) in children with neurogenic bladder dysfunction secondary to spina bifida.
Patients and methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 34 children (19 girls and 15 boys) presenting our clinic in a 18-year period. The patients were divided concentrating on the radiological upper urinary tract findings when CIC was introduced. 18 children had dilated upper urinary tract. In these patients, 10 children already had dilated upper urinary tract at first visiting to our clinic(group A). In remaining 8 patients, dilatation of upper urinary tract was found out in the course of followup (group B). 16 children had normal upper urinary tract when CIC was introduced. In 7 patients, CIC was applied for post-void residual and urinary tract infection (group C). In remaining 9 patients, CIC was introduced for urodynamically low compliance bladder (group D).
Results: In group A, 5 patients underwent enterocystoplasty and 3 patients underwent anti-reflux surgery consequently. Two patients, including 1 patient who underwent enterocystoplasty, have chronic renal dysfunction. In group B, 3 patients underwent enterocystoplasty and 2 patients underwent anti-reflux surgery. In group C, all patients have normal upper urinary tract. In group D, 8 patients have normal upper urinary tract. However, 1 patients underwent enterocystoplasty for low compliance bladder with vesicoureteral reflux (VUR).
Conclusion: Some patients show the improvement of dilated upper urinary tract or VUR after introduction of CIC. However, enterocystoplasty or anti-reflux surgery was needed for many patients to prevent upper urinary tract deterioration. The patients whom CIC was introduced for postvoid residual and urinary tract infection have not shown any deterioration of upper urinary tract. The efficacy of CIC for incontinence was poor because many patients have urethral sphincter incompetence.