Home uroflowmetry and evaluation of urinary symptoms in women with gynaecological dysfunction

We evaluated urinary symptoms and home uroflowmetry in 76 women: 38 patients with gynaecological disorders of varying etiologies, and 38 normal controls. A total of 168 urination episodes was recorded, with a mean of 4.4 measurements per patients. Symptom index showed lower values in the group of normal controls than in the group with gynaecological dysfunction. Voided volume, peak flow rate and average flow rate were all significantly better in the group of normal controls than in the group with gynaecological dysfunction: the most remarkable changes were observed in the group with genital prolapse and with large uterine fibroma. In both groups the total urine volumes was lower between midnight and 8 a.m. (2772 ml), if compared with the total urine volume between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. (3159 ml), and with the total urine volume between 4 p.m. and midnight (3220 ml) (p <0.05). These circadian changes in diurnal and nocturnal uroflow measurements provide a urodynamic support to a well-known clinical observation. Noninvasive home uroflowmetry combines the information of a typical flowchart with uroflow parameters; multiple consecutive voiding episodes can be recorded, minimizing the environmental artifacts of the study.