Neurogenic voiding disorders: current status of diagnosis and therapy

Treatment of the neurogenic voiding disorders which occur after spinal cord injury represents one of the most important challenges of rehabilitation. Inadequate management of neurogenic voiding disorders, especially of urinar y incontinence, results in impaired quality of life. Moreover, inadequately treated neurogenic voiding disorders may result in medium and long-term re nal. complications and even death. Treatment of neurogenic disorders, whate ver their origin (spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disea se), must take into account the gravity of the neurological disease, the po tential risks for the upper urinary tract and the expected quality of life. Therefore, each patient must be consider-ed as a separate entity and treat ed individually. Recent progress in the comprehension of the neurophysiolog y of the lower urinary tract and the neurophysiopathology of the neurogenic voiding disorders has been followed by the development of new diagnostic a nd therapeutic tools aimed at improving the patients' health and quality of life.