The Journal of urology
-
There are no universally accepted urodynamic criteria for diagnosing female bladder outlet obstruction. When accepted criteria for men are applied to women, the diagnosis of obstruction may often be missed, which is most likely due to differences in voiding dynamics. We propose video urodynamic criteria for diagnosing obstruction in women, and describe the urodynamic findings in those with and without obstruction. ⋯ Using the proposed video urodynamic criteria obstructed cases had significantly higher voiding pressures, lower flow rates and higher post-void residual than unobstructed cases, as expected. However, absolute values, especially for voiding pressure, are not as dramatic in women as in men. Pressure flow studies alone may fail to diagnose obstruction but simultaneous imaging of the bladder outlet during voiding greatly facilitates diagnosis.