Association of bladder trabeculation and neurogenic bladder with spinal cord injury

Objective To compare clinical findings and urodynamic parameters according to trabeculation grade and analyze their correlations with trabeculation severity in neurogenic bladder caused by suprasacral spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods A retrospective chart review was performed of neurogenic bladder caused by SCI. Bladder trabeculation grade was compared with SCI-related clinical parameters and bladder-related urodynamic parameters. Results In SCI patients, factors such as disease duration, bladder capacity, detrusor pressure, peak detrusor pressure values, and compliance were significantly different between different grades of bladder trabeculation, while neurological level of injury, completeness, and detrusor sphincter dyssynergia had no clear relationship with bladder trabeculation grade. In the correlation analysis, vesicoureteral reflux was moderately correlated with trabeculation grade (correlation coefficient 0.433), while the correlation coefficients of disease duration, involuntary detrusor contraction, and bladder filling volume were between 0.3 and 0.4. Conclusion Bladder trabeculation with suprasacral-type neurogenic bladder was graded. Although disease duration was positively correlated with bladder trabeculation grade, differences in the neurological level of injury or American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale score were not observed. Bladder volume, peak detrusor pressure, compliance, reflex volume, and vesicoureteral reflux also showed significant differences according to trabeculation grade. Vesicoureteral reflux was moderately correlated with trabeculation grade.