Vesical dysfunctions after radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer: a critical review

• Published in: Critical reviews in oncology/hematology Vol. 48; no. 3; pp. 287 - 293
• Main Authors: Zullo, Marzio Angelo, Manci, Natalina, Angioli, Roberto, Muzii, Ludovico, Panici, Pierluigi Benedetti
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.12.2003
• Subjects: Autonomic Pathways - injuries; Bladder dysfunctions; Cervical cancer; Female; Humans; Hysterectomy - adverse effects; Hysterectomy - methods; Radical hysterectomy; Urinary Bladder - innervation; Urinary incontinence; Urination Disorders - etiology; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - complications; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - surgery; Urinary incontinence; Radical hysterectomy; Cervical cancer; Bladder dysfunctions
• ISSN: 1040-8428; 1879-0461
• DOI: 10.1016/S1040-8428(03)00125-2

Functional disorders of the lower urinary tract are the most common long-term complications following radical surgery for cancer of the uterine cervix (8–80%). These disturbances were associated to the partial interruption of the autonomic fibers innervating the bladder during the resection of anterior, lateral and posterior parametrium and vaginal cuff. The pathophysiology of these changes is actually debated. The nature of the surgical damage appears to be a decentralization rather than a complete denervation and bladder dysfunctions may be either the unmasking of intrinsic detrusor activity, characterized by a loss of beta-adrenergic innervation and a consequent alfa-adrenergic hyperinnervation or the influence of remaining sympathetic innervation. No data on long-term bladder function in patients who underwent class 4 radical hysterectomy have been reported. In our experience on long-term vesical function in 38 patients with locally advanced cervical cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and 4 Piver type radical hysterectomy, urinary symptoms were reported in 11 patients (29%), while a normal urodynamic finding was recorded in only nine patients (24%). The most common bladder dysfunction was the storage dysfunction (47%). The voiding dysfunction was present in one patient (3%) and stress urinary incontinence in 20 patients (53%). The parametrial and vaginal resections were compared among the urodynamic diagnosis The size of lateral parametria measured on the giant sections did not differ among the groups of urodynamic diagnosis, while the length of vagina removed was significantly longer in patients with detrusor dysfunctions (storage and voiding dysfunctions) than in patients with normal diagnosis or genuine stress incontinence.