Urodynamics in the evaluation of lower urinary tract symptoms in young adult men: A systematic review

Abstract

Introduction: This review aims to systematically evaluate the available evidence on the different urodynamic diagnoses of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in young adult men aged 18–50 years and to summarize the various urodynamic parameters based on these diagnoses. Methods: This systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis statement and the search was performed in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane library from inception till September 2021. A total of 295 records were identified using a combination of keywords such as LUTS, urodynamics (UDS), and young males. The review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021214045). Results: All the ten studies, which were included in this analysis, categorised the patients into either of the four primary diagnoses after the UDS – primary bladder neck obstruction (PBNO), dysfunctional voiding, detrusor underactivity (DU), or detrusor overactivity. Five of these studies used the conventional UDS, and in the other five a video UDS was performed. The most common abnormality on the conventional UDS was DU with a pooled estimate of 0.24 (95% confidence interval [CI] - 0.104–0.463, I 2 -95.35, (τ 2 -1.07). The most common abnormality on the video UDS was PBNO with a pooled estimate of 0.49 (95% CI - 0.413–0.580, I 2 -66.59, 2 -0.09). The point estimates of various UDS parameters were also recorded. Conclusion: A urodynamic diagnosis was possible in 79% and 98% of the young men who underwent a conventional UDS or a video UDS, respectively. However, the men subjected to the conventional UDS and the video UDS had significant differences in their primary urodynamic diagnostic label. These results will help to plan future trials for the evaluation and management of LUTS in young men.