Multimodal Ultrasound Feasible for Identifying Pediatric Neurogenic Bladder

Multimodal ultrasound (MMU) is feasible for the diagnosis of neurogenic bladder (NB) in pediatric patients, according to a study published online Jan. 17 in Scientific Reports.

Junkui Wang, from the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in China, and colleagues examined the possibility of MMU replacing urodynamic study (UDS) in the evaluation of NB in pediatric patients. MMU examinations were performed on 73 patients with NB and 100 healthy participants (healthy group [HG]). MMU parameters of vesical volume (VV), bladder wall thickness (BWT), shear wave velocity (SWV), resistance index, vascularization index (VI), and ultrasound bladder compliance (△C) were obtained and compared between the groups. In addition, the correlation of MMU parameters with bladder compliance (BC) and detrusor leak point pressure (DLPP) was examined.

The researchers found that compared with the HG, the NB group had increased emptying VV, mean BWT, filling SWV, emptying SWV, and VI and a decrease in △C. High diagnostic values were seen for parameters of filling SWV, △C, emptying SWV, mean BWT, and VI, with the highest value for filling SWV. The three parameters with the highest area under the curve values (△C, filling SWV, and VI) were used to formulate an equation. For diagnosis of NB, there was no significant difference between the diagnostic model and UDS. BC and DLPP were correlated with most MMU parameters in the NB group.

“The diagnostic model constructed based on bladder filling SWV, △C, and VI demonstrated excellent diagnostic performance,” the authors write.