Treatment modalities for paediatric functional daytime lower urinary tract disorders: an updated review

Abstract

Paediatric functional bladder disorders especially those causing daytime symptoms are a common cause of significant psychosocial and/or physical morbidity and impaired quality of life. Despite the availability of many therapeutic modalities, a significant number of children appear to be refractory to treatment and continue to have symptoms. In this review, we aim to evaluate the current evidence in the use of existing and novel therapeutic options for the management of daytime lower urinary tract disorders in children. We also aim to highlight the controversies around the terminology and diagnosis of paediatric lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD) and specific conditions. The article will then provide a reasonable critique of the existing and emerging treatment modalities in functional daytime LUTD in children including their mode of action, efficacy, indications, and recent advances. These include standard urotherapy, specific urotherapy comprised of biofeedback, alarm therapy and electrical neural stimulation and pharmacotherapy involving selective and non-selective anticholinergics, ß3 adrenergic agonists, alpha blockers and botulinum toxin. A better understanding of this common clinical problem may help clinicians achieve better profiling of these children’s diagnoses to further enable specific, targeted treatment.