PREMICTIONAL VOLUME AND CONTRACTILITY OF THE URINARY-BLADDER IN PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC-SCLEROSIS

Ultrasonographic measurements of the urinary bladder in 21 women with systemic sclerosis (SSc) revealed abnormal volume of the bladder in ab out 65% of patients; 6/21 had a smaller bladder and 7/21 had a larger bladder than the controls, The volume of the remaining urine after mic tion was higher in 7 patients, Fibrosis of the bladder wall leading to a small rigid bladder and ureteral obstruction resulting in a large b ladder with low contractility are suggested as phenomena involved in d isturbed function of the urinary bladder in SSc patients, Patients wit h symptoms lasting more than 14 yrs, were found to have larger premict ional volume of the bladder than those with short-lasting disease. No correlation between age, number of deliveries and bladder volume was f ound.