Urinary retention with occult meningeal reaction: a ‘form fruste’ meningitis-retention syndrome

Abstract

We report the case of a 70-year-old Japanese man who was referred from a local urologist because of acute urinary retention (detrusor underactivity revealed by a urodynamics examination). A neurogenic urinary retention workup failed to reveal the aetiology, but a spinal tap incidentally showed occult meningeal reaction with positive oligoclonal band. The patient had no headache, nausea/vomiting or fever. Considering his clinical laboratory findings, his neural lesions seemed to involve the meninges and spinal cord, suggestive of ‘form fruste’ meningitis-retention syndrome. When clinicians encounter patients with urinary retention of undetermined aetiology, a spinal tap should be considered.

Urodynamically proven lower urinary tract dysfunction in children after COVID‐19: A case series

“… 11 Even an occult meningeal reaction has been reported in an elderly patient, independent of COVID‐19, on the basis of urinary retention of undetermined etiology. 12 This shows that every possibility should be considered in the differential diagnosis. On the other hand, we have not yet come across a report directly associating the development of nonneurological urinary retention with COVID‐19 in the pediatric literature.…”

“…11 Even an occult meningeal reaction has been reported in an elderly patient, independent of COVID-19, on the basis of urinary retention of undetermined etiology. 12 This shows that every possibility should be considered in the differential diagnosis. motor or sensorial tracts.…”

“…In this context, some studies in the adult literature report COVID‐19 may cause exacerbation of LUTS in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia and may even be a predictor of urinary retention 11 . Even an occult meningeal reaction has been reported in an elderly patient, independent of COVID‐19, on the basis of urinary retention of undetermined etiology 12 . This shows that every possibility should be considered in the differential diagnosis.…”