Predictors of the effectiveness of initial therapy with antimuscarinic agents in children with neurogenic urination disorders
Authors: Shabaev Sergey A. , Morozov Dmitry A. , Afukov Ivan I. , Rostovskaya Vera V. 
Published: July 2024

BACKGROUND: Almost a third of patients with neurogenic urinary disorders have a refractory nature to therapy with antimuscarinic agents. The aim of the current trial was to identify predictors of the effectiveness of initial therapy with antimuscarinic agents in children with neurogenic urination disorders. For this, a comprehensive analysis of clinical parameters and video urodynamic findings in children was made.
AIM: The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of the successful initial therapy with M-anticholinergic preparations in children with neurogenic urinary disorders. For this, results of a comprehensive analysis of initial clinical and video urodynamic parameters were used..
METHODS: A prospective longitudinal cohort study involved 62 patients, aged 1.8–18 years, with neurogenic urination. In addition to the standard examination, all patients underwent a video urodynamic examination at Laborite Delphis UDS-600 device with parallel cystography at Siemens X-ray C-arc (Siemens, Germany). By the obtained results, 52 out of 62 patients were prescribed antimuscarinic agents as the first line therapy. Therapy effectiveness was assessed in 3 months. Analysed parameters were age, presence/absence of self-catheterization, as well as presence/absence of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) revealed at conventional retrograde urethrocystography and/or video urodynamic examination.
RESULTS: The multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that the risk of ineffective antimuscarinic therapy increases by 75,6% in patients with VUR revealed at retrograde uretrocystography, regardless of patient's age and self-catheterization (OR=0.244; 95% CI=0.063-0.937; p=0.040) and by 89.8% (OR=0.102; 95% CI=0.019-0.554; p=0.008) when VUR is detected at video urodynamic examination. Unlike patients with a positive effect (n=24; 50%), 24 patients (50%) who had no response to antimuscarinic therapy were younger (median age 8 years); they also were self-catheterized and had VUR revealed at video urodynamic examination. Outcomes of the prescribed therapy were not associated with other video urodynamic parameters. The identified significant predictors (age, self-catheterization and VUR at video urodynamic examination) have allowed to develop a model for predicting antimuscarinic therapy effectiveness before its administration. This model can promote a rational selection of patients for antimuscarinic therapy, as the first line therapy, with a high probability of positive outcome in 84.9% of patients.
CONCLUSION: When prescribing antimuscarinic agents, patient's age, self-catheterization, VUR revealed at retrograde urethrocystography and video urodynamic examination should be taken into account. Predictors of effective antimuscarinic therapy in children with neurogenic urinary disorders, which increase the likelihood of successful outcomes, are patient's age (over 12 years), no self-catheterization and no VUR at video urodynamic examination. Patients younger than 12 years, with self-catheterization and VUR are less likely to respond to antimuscarinic therapy.