Objective: To investigate whether rapid maxillary expansion (RME) is a useful treatment method for nocturnal enuresis (NE) and whether the treatment effect is due to placebo. The study also aimed to identify prognostic variables in patients responding to treatment. Materials and Methods: Thirty-eight children with therapy-resistant NE were recruited and randomized into two groups: the intervention group or placebo group. Both groups were treated with RME, but the placebo group received treatment with a sham appliance for 2 weeks before having the actual treatment. A medical history focused on micturition habits, previous treatment, heredity, and sleep disorders was taken. Daytime voided volumes and nocturnal urine production during wet nights were recorded before the intervention. Results: Of the 38 patients recruited, two dropped out as one patient was unable to take dental impressions and one refused to have the appliance fitted. There was a statistically significant reduction of wet nights after the RME treatment (P < .001). No significant reduction was found after the placebo treatment (P < .40). Eleven patients (35%) had their enuresis frequency reduced by >50%. Large voiding volume and a wide maxilla at baseline had a strong association with positive treatment outcome. Conclusions: RME has a modest effect on children with therapy-resistant NE. The treatment outcome does not seem to be due to a placebo effect of the appliance. A wide maxillary width and large voiding volume at baseline seem to be positive predictors regarding response to treatment.

Aim: There have not been any continence-specific measurement tools in Swedish that have allowed clinicians to investigate the quality of life (QoL) in children with bladder dysfunction. This study evaluated the QoL in Swedish children with nocturnal enuresis and tested the reliability of a Swedish translation of the Paediatric Incontinence Questionnaire (PinQ).Methods: This prospective study comprised 46 children aged six to 18 years with nocturnal enuresis, who completed the PinQ after it was translated into Swedish. It was completed twice by 33 patients, and these responses were included in the test-retest evaluation.Results: The self-reported mean sum score for the whole group was 26.3 AE 13.37 (range: 5-58), and the most affected domains were social relations with peers and self-esteem. The highest individual scores were four, three or two for 71.7%, 17.4% and 10.9% of the study population, respectively. Cronbach's alpha was 0.87 for the whole questionnaire, indicating good internal consistency. The test-retest stability was excellent, with an intra-class correlation coefficient of 0.76.

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