Percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in children with therapy resistant nonneuropathic bladder sphincter dysfunction: A pilot study

Purpose: We evaluated the effect of percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on voiding dysfunction in a group of children with therapy resistant, nonneuropathic bladder sphincter dysfunction. Materials and Methods: In a prospective study 17 boys and 15 girls with mean age of 11.7 years underwent percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation after the failure of more than 2 years of urological and/or pharmacotherapy. The device for percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation consists of an interface cable, a surface electrode, a percutaneous needle and a portable stimulator. The needle is inserted at the tibial nerve level and a portable stimulator provided pulsations at a frequency of 20 Hz. for 30 minutes once weekly. Every 6 weeks the children were evaluated. Evaluation parameters were urgency, daytime incontinence, voiding frequency, the uroflowmetry curve and bladder capacity. When favorable results were observed after 6 sessions, therapy was continued for another 12 sessions. In 24 children anticholinergics started before stimulation that had only a partial effect were continued during stimulation. Results: In 7 of the 28 children with urgency before therapy it disappeared after therapy and in 10 it improved. Of the 23 children with daytime incontinence before treatment 4 became dry after stimulation and in 12 incontinence decreased. Of the 19 patients who reported disturbed voiding frequency of less than 4 or more than 8 voids daily 16 achieved a normal frequency of 4 to 6 voids daily. In 21 children an abnormal uroflowmetry curve was observed before stimulation, while in 9 the flow curve was normal after therapy. Mean bladder capacity increased significantly from 185.16 to 279.19 ml. Conclusions: Percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation has a significant effect on voiding frequency, the uroflowmetry curve and bladder capacity in children with nonneurogenic bladder sphincter dysfunction.