Primary Nocturnal Enuresis: An Overview

Song, D H

Abstract

Bedwetting is the most common urologic complaint among children. Wetting frequency decreases from birth to adolescence. Etiology is multifactorial : genetic, neuromuscular or urologic maturation, psychosocial stressors, toilet training, or biologic aspects. Treatment has been also multimodal : drugs to depress bladder activity, increase urethral resistance, or modulate sleep, and recently urine reduction modulation. All of these approaches reflect a lack of sufficient knowledge of the underlying pathophysiology of nocturnal enuresis. Recent researches have focused on sleep disturbances, bladder reservoir function, urine output, and a combination of the three.? Sleep studies indicate that enuretic patients are normal sleepers, and enuresis can take place during any stage of sleep, but generally occurs when the bladder is filled to the equivalent of maximal daytime functional capacity. Bladder reservior capacity appears to be normal, and bladder instability is somewhat related with the pathology of nocturnal enuresis. However, enuretic patients have shown the lack of normal nocturnal increase in antidiuretic hormone levels, and nocturnal urine production increases up to 2-4 times volume of functional bladder capacity, which explains the need for bladder emptying.? But behavioral approaches, especially Bell-alarm method, remain important in the treatment of primary enuresis.