Renal & Genitourinary Flashcards
What is the function of the urinary tract?
- To collect urine produced continuously by the kidneys
- to store collected urine safely
- to expel urine when socially acceptable
What is the location and blood supply of the kidneys?
- retroperitoneal organs
- lie between T11-L3
- blood supply from renal artery direct from aorta at L1 level
What is the location of the ureters?
- retroperitoneal organs
- run over psoas muscle, cross the iliac vessels at the pelvic brim and insert into trigone of the bladder
What prevents the reflux of urine?
By a valvular mechanism at the vesicoureteric junction
What are the 4 nerves that supply the bladder?
- Parasympathetic nerve = pelvic nerve
- Sympathetic nerve = hypogastric plexus
- Somatic nerve = pudendal nerve
- Afferent pelvic nerve
What occurs during the storage phase in the bladder?
- bladder fills continuously as urine is produced by the kidney and is passed through the ureters into the bladder
- as the volume in the bladder increases the pressure remains low due to ‘receptive’ relaxation and detrusor muscle compliance
What happens in the Filling phase in the bladder?
- at low volumes the afferent pelvic nerve send slow firing signals to the pons via the spinal cord
- SYMPATHETIC nerve (hypogastric plexus) stimulation maintains detrusor muscle RELAXATION
- Somatic (pudendal) nevre stimulation maintains urethral sphincter contraction
What happens during the Voiding Phase in the bladder?
(micturition reflex is an autonomic spinal reflex)
1. At higher volumes the afferent pelvic nerve sends FAST signals to the sacral micturition centre in the sacral spinal cord
2. PARASYMPATHETIC (Pee) pelvic nerve is stimulated = detrusor muscle CONTRACTS
3. Pudendal nerve is inhibited and the external sphincter relaxes
What allows bladder emptying to occur?
- coordinated detrusor contraction with external sphincter relaxation to expel urine from bladder
- positive feedback loop is generated until all urine is expelled
- detrusor relaxation and external sphincter contraction after complete emptying of bladder
Explain the Guarding Reflex in the bladder.
If voiding is inappropriate the Guarding Reflex occurs
- controlled by Onuf’s nucleus
- voluntary control of micturition can occur in anatomically and functionally normal adults
- sympathetic nerve relaxes detrusor
- pudendal nerve contracts external urethral sphincter
What does the cortex control in micturition?
Sensation of ‘full bladder’
initiation of voiding
What does the pontine micturition centre control in micturition?
completion of voiding
co-ordination
What are the spinal reflexes involved in micturition?
Reflex bladder contraction - sacral micturition centre
Guarding reflex - Onuf’s nucleus (in spinal cord)
Receptive relaxation - sympathetic pathway
What nerves control detrusor muscle relaxation and contraction?
Relaxation = sympathetic stimulation T11-L2
Contraction = parasympathetic stimulation S2-4 (para pee)
What nerves control external urethral sphincter relaxation and contraction?
Relaxation = pudendal inhibition S2-4
Contraction = pudendal stimulation S2-4
What are the Lower Urinary Tract symptoms relating to Storage ?
- frequency
- urgency
- nocturia (MC in men with enlarged prostates)
- incontinence
FUNI
What are the Lower urinary Tract symptoms relating to Voiding?
- Slow stream
- Splitting or
spraying - Intermittency
- Hesitancy
- Straining
- Terminal dribble (bladder not completely empty - enlarged prostate prevents bladder being completely emptied)
What are the Lower urinary Tract symptoms relating to Post-micturition?
- Post-micturition dribble
- Feeling of incomplete emptying
Define Overactive Bladder syndrome (OAB).
Urgency with frequency, with or without nocturia, when appearing in the absence of local pathology
What is the management for an Overactive Bladder?
- Behavioural therapy = caffeine, alcohol, bladder drill
- Anti-muscarinic agents = decreases parasympathetic activity
- B3 agnostics = increased sympathetic activity at B3 receptor in bladder
- Botox = blocks neuromuscular junction for Ach release
- Sacral neuromodulation = insertion of electrode to S3 nerve root to modulate afferent signals from bladder
- surgery = augmentation cystoplasty
What are the 4 types of incontinence?
- Stress = pregnant, lifting heavy objects, coughing, sneezing
- Urge = not making it to the toilet in time
- Neuropathic = MS, Parkinson’s
- Overflow = chronic urinary retention
What investigations would you do for incontinence?
- flowmetry
- bladder diary
- U&Es
- post void bladder scan
- urodynamic studies (measure pressures in bladder and abdomen to assess bladder function)
- prostate examination
What is the cause of stress incontinence in females?
- usually secondary to birth trauma
- denervation of pelvic floor and urethral sphincter
- weakening of fascial support of bladder and urethra - Neurogenic
- Congenital
What is the cause of stress incontinence in males?
- neurogenic
- iatrogenic (prostatectomy)