Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Primary Bladder Neck Obstruction in Men and Women: an Update on Diagnosis and Management

  • Post-Prostatectomy and Acquired Voiding Dysfunction (V Tse, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Bladder Dysfunction Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Primary bladder neck obstruction (PBNO) is a rare condition of the lower urinary tract seen in young and middle-aged patients. The true prevalence of this entity is unknown; however, it has been reported in 5–11 % of young women and 28–54 % of young men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). The diagnosis of PBNO requires a high index of suspicion and an experienced clinician due to the variety of presenting urinary symptoms, and often a much delayed presentation, which frequently is not reported by patients, and often misdiagnosed by clinicians. Videourodynamics (VUDS) will greatly assist in making the diagnosis. Observation, medical therapy, and surgical therapy are the treatment options with variable success rates. This detailed review focuses on history, presentation, diagnosis, and management of PBNO in both men and women.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance ••Of major importance

  1. Marion G, Weijtlandt JA. Surgery of the neck of the bladder. Br J Urol. 1933;5(4):351–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Nanson EM. Marion’s disease or bladder neck stenosis. Aust N Z J Surg. 1951;20(3):215–23.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Woodside JR. Urodynamic evaluation of dysfunctional bladder neck obstruction in men. J Urol. 1980;124(5):673–7.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Awad SA, Downie JW, Lywood DW, Young RA, Jarzylo SV. Sympathetic activity in the proximal urethra in patients with urinary obstruction. J Urol. 1976;115(5):545–7.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Bates CP, Arnold EP, Griffiths DJ. The nature of the abnormality in bladder neck obstruction. Br J Urol. 1975;47(6):651–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Leadbetter Jr GW, Leadbetter WF. Diagnosis and treatment of congenital bladder-neck obstruction in children. N Engl J Med. 1959;260(13):633–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Smith DR. Critique on the concept of vesical neck obstruction in children. JAMA. 1969;207(9):1686–92.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Farrar DJ, Osborne JL, Stephenson TP, Whiteside CG, Weir J, Berry J, et al. A urodynamic view of bladder outflow obstruction in the female: factors influencing the results of treatment. Br J Urol. 1975;47(7):815–22.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Diokno AC, Hollander JB, Bennett CJ. Bladder neck obstruction in women: a real entity. J Urol. 1984;132(2):294–8. This was the first description of PBNO in women.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Toh KL, Ng CK. Urodynamic studies in the evaluation of young men presenting with lower urinary tract symptoms. Int J Urol. 2006;13(5):520–3.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Kaplan SA, Te AE, Jacobs BZ. Urodynamic evidence of vesical neck obstruction in men with misdiagnosed chronic nonbacterial prostatitis and the therapeutic role of endoscopic incision of the bladder neck. J Urol. 1994;152(6 Pt 1):2063–5. This article higlights that PBNO is often misdiagnosed as other diagnoses.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Nitti VW, Lefkowitz G, Ficazzola M, Dixon CM. Lower urinary tract symptoms in young men: videourodynamic findings and correlation with noninvasive measures. J Urol. 2002;168(1):135–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Yang SS, Wang CC, Hsieh CH, Chen YT. alpha1-Adrenergic blockers in young men with primary bladder neck obstruction. J Urol. 2002;168(2):571–4.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Karami H, Valipour R, Lotfi B, Mokhtarpour H, Razi A. Urodynamic findings in young men with chronic lower urinary tract symptoms. Neurourol Urodyn. 2011;30(8):1580–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Jamzadeh AE, Xie D, Laudano M, Seklehner S, Elterman DS, Shtromvaser L, et al. Urodynamic characterization of lower urinary tract symptoms in men less than 40 years of age. World J Urol. 2014;32(2):469–73.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Groutz A, Blaivas JG, Chaikin DC. Bladder outlet obstruction in women: definition and characteristics. Neurourol Urodyn. 2000;19(3):213–20.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Nitti VW, Tu LM, Gitlin J. Diagnosing bladder outlet obstruction in women. J Urol. 1999;161(5):1535–40.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Akikwala TV, Fleischman N, Nitti VW. Comparison of diagnostic criteria for female bladder outlet obstruction. J Urol. 2006;176(5):2093–7. This article compares various criteria of female BOO.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Kuo HC. Videourodynamic characteristics and lower urinary tract symptoms of female bladder outlet obstruction. Urology. 2005;66(5):1005–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Blaivas JG, Groutz A. Bladder outlet obstruction nomogram for women with lower urinary tract symptomatology. Neurourol Urodyn. 2000;19(5):553–64.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Jamzadeh AE, Xie D, Laudano MA, Elterman DS, Seklehner S, Shtromvaser L, et al. Urodynamic characterization of lower urinary tract symptoms in women less than 40 years of age. Can J Urol. 2014;21(5):7460–4.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Badenoch AW. Congenital obstruction at the bladder neck. Ann R Coll Surg Engl. 1949;4(5):295–307.

    PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Turner-Warwick R, Whiteside CG, Worth PH, Milroy EJ, Bates CP. A urodynamic view of the clinical problems associated with bladder neck dysfunction and its treatment by endoscopic incision and trans-trigonal posterior prostatectomy. Br J Urol. 1973;45(1):44–59.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Yalla SV, Gabilondo FB, Blunt KJ, Fam BA, Castello A, Kaufman JM. Functional striated sphincter component at the bladder neck: clinical implications. J Urol. 1977;118(3):408–11.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Yalla SV, Blute RD, Snyder H, Yap W, Fraser L, Friedman E. Isolated bladder neck obstruction of undetermined etiology (primary) in adult male: recognition and management. Urology. 1981;17(1):99–108.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Yalla SV, Waters WB, Snyder H, Varady S, Blute R. Urodynamic localization of isolated bladder neck obstruction in men: studies with micturitional vesicourethral static pressure profile. J Urol. 1981;125(5):677–84.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Crowe R, Noble J, Robson T, Soediono P, Milroy EJ, Burnstock G. An increase of neuropeptide Y but not nitric oxide synthase-immunoreactive nerves in the bladder neck from male patients with bladder neck dyssynergia. J Urol. 1995;154(3):1231–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Margulis V, Lin VK, Wang S-Y, Tang J, Zimmern PE. Characterization of primary bladder neck obstruction: immunohistochemical and gene expression analysis. Curr Urol. 2007;1(2):95–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Trockman BA, Gerspach J, Dmochowski R, Haab F, Zimmern PE, Leach GE. Primary bladder neck obstruction: urodynamic findings and treatment results in 36 men. J Urol. 1996;156(4):1418–20.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Suri A, Srivastava A, Singh KJ, Dubey D, Mandhani A, Kapoor R, et al. Endoscopic incision for functional bladder neck obstruction in men: long-term outcome. Urology. 2005;66(2):323–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Huckabay C, Nitti VW. Diagnosis and treatment of primary bladder neck obstruction in men. Curr Urol Rep. 2005;6(4):271–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Norlen LJ, Blaivas JG. Unsuspected proximal urethral obstruction in young and middle-aged men. J Urol. 1986;135(5):972–6.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Hruz P, Danuser H, Studer UE, Hochreiter WW. Non-inflammatory chronic pelvic pain syndrome can be caused by bladder neck hypertrophy. Eur Urol. 2003;44(1):106–10. discussion 110.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Axelrod SL, Blaivas JG. Bladder neck obstruction in women. J Urol. 1987;137(3):497–9.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Nitti VW. Primary bladder neck obstruction in men and women. Rev Urol. 2005;7 Suppl 8:S12–7.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Delaere KP, Debruyne FM, Moonen WA. Bladder neck incision in the female: a hazardous procedure? Br J Urol. 1983;55(3):283–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Gronbaek K, Struckmann JR, Frimodt-Moller C. The treatment of female bladder neck dysfunction. Scand J Urol Nephrol. 1992;26(2):113–8.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Kumar A, Mandhani A, Gogoi S, Srivastava A. Management of functional bladder neck obstruction in women: use of alpha-blockers and pediatric resectoscope for bladder neck incision. J Urol. 1999;162(6):2061–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Bates CP, Whiteside CG, Turner-Warwick R. Synchronous cine-pressure-flow-cysto-urethrography with special reference to stress and urge incontinence. Br J Urol. 1970;42(6):714–23.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Padmanabhan P, Nitti VW. Primary bladder neck obstruction in men, women, and children. Curr Urol Rep. 2007;8(5):379–84. Excellent prior review of PBNO.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Yalla SV, Resnick NM. Initiation of voiding in humans: the nature and temporal relationship of urethral sphincter responses. J Urol. 1997;157(2):590–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Lim CS, Abrams P. The Abrams-Griffiths nomogram. World J Urol. 1995;13(1):34–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Marks BK, Goldman HB. Videourodynamics: indications and technique. Urol Clin North Am. 2014;41(3):383–91. vii-viii.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Haylen BT, de Ridder D, Freeman RM, Swift SE, Berghmans B, Lee J, et al. An International Urogynecological Association (IUGA)/International Continence Society (ICS) joint report on the terminology for female pelvic floor dysfunction. Neurourol Urodyn. 2010;29(1):4–20.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. King AB, Goldman HB. Bladder outlet obstruction in women: functional causes. Curr Urol Rep. 2014;15(9):436.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Kaplan SA, Ikeguchi EF, Santarosa RP, D’Alisera PM, Hendricks J, Te AE, et al. Etiology of voiding dysfunction in men less than 50 years of age. Urology. 1996;47(6):836–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Brucker BM, Fong E, Shah S, Kelly C, Rosenblum N, Nitti VW. Urodynamic differences between dysfunctional voiding and primary bladder neck obstruction in women. Urology. 2012;80(1):55–60.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Kumar A, Banerjee GK, Goel MC, Mishra VK, Kapoor R, Bhandari M. Functional bladder neck obstruction: a rare cause of renal failure. J Urol. 1995;154(1):186–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Li B, Gao W, Dong C, Han X, Li S, Jia R, et al. Long-term safety, tolerability, and efficacy of alpha1-adrenergic blocker in young men with primary bladder neck obstruction: results from a single centre in China. Int Urol Nephrol. 2012;44(3):711–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Cisternino A, Zeccolini G, Calpista A, De Marco V, Prayer Galetti T, Iafrate M, et al. Obstructive primary bladder neck disease: evaluation of the efficacy and safety of alpha1-blockers. Urol Int. 2006;76(2):150–3.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. Boyd K, Hilas O. alpha-adrenergic blockers for the treatment of lower-urinary-tract symptoms and dysfunction in women. Ann Pharmacother. 2014;48(6):711–22.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Athanasopoulos A, Gyftopoulos K, Giannitsas K, Perimenis P. Effect of alfuzosin on female primary bladder neck obstruction. Int Urogynecol J Pelvic Floor Dysfunct. 2009;20(2):217–22.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  53. Costantini E, Lazzeri M, Bini V, Zucchi A, Fioretti F, Frumenzio E, et al. Open-label, longitudinal study of tamsulosin for functional bladder outlet obstruction in women. Urol Int. 2009;83(3):311–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  54. Chang SJ, Chiang IN, Yu HJ. The effectiveness of tamsulosin in treating women with voiding difficulty. Int J Urol. 2008;15(11):981–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Goldman HB, Zimmern PE. The treatment of female bladder outlet obstruction. BJU Int. 2006;98(2):359–66.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. Sacco E, Tienforti D, Bientinesi R, D’Addessi A, Racioppi M, Pinto F, et al. OnabotulinumtoxinA injection therapy in men with LUTS due to primary bladder-neck dysfunction: objective and patient-reported outcomes. Neurourol Urodyn. 2014;33(1):142–6. Role of Botox in PBNO.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  57. Kochakarn W, Lertsithichai P. Unilateral transurethral incision for primary bladder neck obstruction: symptom relief and fertility preservation. World J Urol. 2003;21(3):159–62.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. Yang SS, Tsai YC, Chen JJ, Peng CH, Hsieh JH, Wang CC. Modified transurethral incision of the bladder neck treating primary bladder neck obstruction in young men: a method to improve voiding function and to preserve antegrade ejaculation. Urol Int. 2008;80(1):26–30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  59. Jonas U, Petri E, Hohenfellner R. Indication and value of bladder neck incision. Urol Int. 1979;34(4):260–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  60. Zhang P, Wu ZJ, Xu L, Yang Y, Zhang N, Zhang XD. Bladder neck incision for female bladder neck obstruction: long-term outcomes. Urology. 2014;83(4):762–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  61. Jin XB, Qu HW, Liu H, Li B, Wang J, Zhang YD. Modified transurethral incision for primary bladder neck obstruction in women: a method to improve voiding function without urinary incontinence. Urology. 2012;79(2):310–3.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  62. Blaivas JG, Flisser A, Tash JA. Treatment of primary bladder neck obstruction in women with transurethral resection of the bladder neck. J Urol. 2004;171(3):1172–5. Technique of bladder neck incision in women.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  63. Markic D, Maricic A, Oguic R, Spanjol J, Rahelic D, Rubinic N, et al. Transurethral bladder neck incision in women with primary bladder neck obstruction. Wien Klin Wochenschr. 2014;126(7–8):217–22.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Compliance with Ethics Guidelines

Conflict of Interest

Himanshu Aggarwal and Gary E. Lemack declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Himanshu Aggarwal.

Additional information

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Post-Prostatectomy and Acquired Voiding Dysfunction

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Aggarwal, H., Lemack, G.E. Primary Bladder Neck Obstruction in Men and Women: an Update on Diagnosis and Management. Curr Bladder Dysfunct Rep 10, 288–294 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11884-015-0315-6

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11884-015-0315-6

Keywords

Navigation