The Incidence and Etiology of Overactive Bladder in Patients After Cerebrovascular Accident

Cerebrovascular accident or stroke is a devastating neurologic event that can have both short and long term urologic complications. The purpose of this article is to provide an up-to-date review of the incidence and causes of voiding dysfunction after stroke, the evaluation of voiding dysfunction in patients after stroke, and the recommendations on the management of voiding dysfunction following stroke. The reported incidence of urinary incontinence varies from 28-79% and the causes of urinary incontinence following stroke are multifactorial. Detrusor overactivity is predominant and detrusor underactivity is somewhat less prevalent. Urodynamic findings in patients with stroke vary depending upon timing of the study and associated comorbidities. Currently there are no large longitudinal studies linking urodynamic findings with location or degree of infarct. Based on current studies, we conclude that patients with detrusor underactivity should be managed with clean intermittent catheterization or indwelling Foley catheter, while timed voiding with or without anticholinergic therapy may be an effective treatment for patients with detrusor overactivity after stroke.