Should complete and incomplete spinal cord injury patients receive the same attention in urodynamic evaluations and ultrasonography examinations of the upper urinary tract?

The aim of the study was to compare urodynamic findings and upper urinary tract (UUT) abnormalities detected by ultrasonography in complete and incomplete suprasacral spinal cord injury (SCI) patients with neurogenic detrusor overactivity. Thirty-eight suprasacral SCI patients who underwent ultrasonography evaluation of the UUT and urodynamic investigation were evaluated retrospectively. The mean maximum detrusor pressure was 51.08+28.71 cmH 2O for the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA)-A group and 61.42+30.93 cmH 2O for the ASIA-B-E group (P>0.05). The mean cystometric capacity was 269.38+139.98 for the ASIA-A group and 223.36+135.59 ml for the ASIA-B-E group (P>0.05). Abnormalities in the UUT were found in 15.4% of the complete SCI patients and 16% of the incomplete SCI patients (P>0.05). No differences were found in urodynamic parameters and UUT abnormalities between the complete and the incomplete suprasacral SCI patients. Therefore, incomplete SCI patients should be observed with the same caution as complete SCI patients. Copyright © 2012 Lippincott Williams &Wilkins