Voiding dysfunctions in patient with brain injury: Systematic literature review

Introduction: Voiding dysfunctions includes a series of signs and symptoms related to the lower urinary tract, which has a negative impact on people’s quality of life. Methods: A systematic review of the literature, according to the guidelines of the PRISMA protocol, using the databases PUBMED, Scielo and Google Scholar. All studies related - “ Voiding dysfunctions among patients with expansive intracranial lesions” - were added to the amount for selection, published between 1964 until March/2020. Results: A higher prevalence of cases was found in women, with some injuries such as meningioma, aneurysms and cysts standing out. Regarding voiding dysfunctions, there is a predominant incidence of urinary incontinence followed by enuresis. As symptoms, gait deficit, headache, memory deficit and disorientation were prevalent. Discussion: The participation of the pons in the control of urination is notorious, been conducted studies at laboratory, indicating the existence of a supra-medullary center capable of controlling urination being called the pontine center of urination, also called Barrington’s nucleus. Conclusión: Urinary incontinence is often neglected in terms of its etiology because it is associated with immobilization, social isolation, image distortion and depressive conditions, decreasing the patient’s quality of life. Thus, must be clear in mind that expansive intracranial lesions may be a possible cause of voiding dysfunctions and should be investigated in conditions whose cause-consequence association can be understood. In addition, it is essential to develop further studies seeking to understand the central mechanisms of micturition.