Repro Topic 4 - Bladder Flashcards
Describe the afferent and efferent pathways for control of bladder function
- Efferent
- Sympathetic - hypogastric nerve (T12-L2)
- Parasympathetic - pelvic nerve (S2, 3, 4)
- Afferent - pelvic, hypogastric and pudendal nerves from bladder wall
- A delta (normal) and C (pathological) fibres
How does urine retention lead to hydronephrosis?
- Bladder filling, increased upper tract pressure
- Ureters dilate, peristalsis lost, ureteric drainage dependent on gravity
- Increasing pressure = decreasing renal function
Describe the voiding phase of micturition
- Voluntary relaxation of external sphincter
- Pontine micturition relaxes internal first
- Parasympathetic action causes detrussor contraction, bladder empties
- Assissted by contraction of abdominal muscles - increases the pressure in the bladder
What is the role of higher centres in the brain in the micturition reflex?
- Keep micturition reflex inhibited except when micturition is desired
- Contraction of external sphincter
- When time to urinate high centres send signals to sacral micturition centre which stimulates the micturation reflex
- Coordinates: spino-bulbar-spinal reflex, detrussor contraction, urethral relaxation
Describe the structure of the male urethra
- 15-20cm long, carries urine and semen
- 4 parts - pre-prostatic, prostatic, membraneous, spongey
- Prostatic - prostatic and ejaculatory glands empty into
- Membraneous - surrounded by external urethra sphincter
- Spongey - through bulb and corpus spongeosum, ends at external urethral orifice, bulbourethral glands empty into
Describe the venous drainage of the ureters
Follows arteries
Describe the higher centres in the brain involved in micturition
- Pontine micturition (Barrington’s nucleus)
- Dorsolateral pons, collection of neuronal cell bodies
- Send axons via lateral columns to sacral micturition centre (intermediolateral nucleus and Onuf’s nucleus)
Describe the structure of the walls of the bladder
- Rugae (folds) allow for expansion - volume can increase without pressure changing
- Mucosa - transitional epithelium, lamina propria
- Submucosa
- Detrussor muscle
- Adventitia
Describe the process of the micturition reflex
- Bladder fills until it reaches critical pressure, stretch receptors activated, signals from bladder to spinal cord via sensory afferents (pelvic nerves)
- Activates autonomic spinal reflex (parasympathetic + sympathetic activity), can be overriden by higher centres in the brain
- Causes contraction of the detrussor muscle, at partial filling contractions relax spontaneously - allows more filling
- With continued filled reflexes become more frequent
- If signals from brain are stronger than voluntary contraction of the external sphincter micturition occurs
- If not, bladder fills further and further and reflex becomes stronger
What is the effect of the parasympathetic efferent pathway on the bladder?
Contraction of detrussor muscle - micturition
Describe the innervation of the ureters
Renal, testicular/ovarian and hypogastric plexus
Sensory fibres –> T11-L2
Describe the arterial supply of the ureters
- Renal and testicular/ovarian arteries from the abdominal aorta
- Superior and inferior vesical arteries from the internal iliac artery
List the stages of micturition
- Filling
- Micturition reflex
- Voiding
List the functions of the bladder
- Store urine at low pressure (no sensation)
- Empty fully at socially convenient time
- Reciprocal contraction/relaxation
Describe the arterial supply of the male urethra
- Prostatic - inferior vesicle from internal iliac artery
- Membraneous/spongey - bulbourethral from internal pudendal artery
Describe the lymphatic drainage of the bladder
Vesical, external iliac, internal iliac and common iliac nodes
What are the causes of bladder outflow obstruction?
- Men - prostatic hyperplasia
- Women - pelvic organ prolapse (pregnancy), pelvic masses
- Both -
- Neurological disease - failure of relaxation of external sphincter
- Bladder tumours, stones, urethral strictures (e.g. scar tissue)