Purpose: We have developed a non-invasive method to measure voiding bladder pressure by inflation of a penile cuff to interrupt flow. This study tests the underlying assumption that pressure in the cuff is transmitted to the penile urethra.
Materials and Methods: In 35 men we simultaneously recorded penile cuff pressure and urethral pressure during two experimental protocols for 6 cuffs of varying width and manufacture. Initially a urethral pressure transducer was placed at the mid point of the cuff and urethral pressure continuously recorded during cuff inflation. In the second experiment cuff pressure was set at 120 cm H2O and the urethral pressure profile measured by withdrawing the urethral transducer through the cuff width.
Results: There was excellent agreement between cuff pressure and urethral pressure over the range 0 to 200 cm H2O for cuffs of width 37-54 mm. Narrower cuffs showed wider variation with less efficient transmission of cuff pressure to the urethral lumen. Similarly, maximum pressures obtained in the urethral pressure profile showed best agreement for cuff widths 38 and 46 mm. Wider cuffs produced a higher transmitted pressure and narrower cuffs a lower pressure within the urethra. Cuff performance was also related to penile size. Results also had good within-subject repeatability.
Conclusions: We have demonstrated that pressure transmission from cuff to urethra is optimal at cuff width from 40-50 mm and recommend this for other investigations of non-invasive bladder pressure measurement.
Drinnan MJ, Robson W, Reddy M, Pickard RS, Ramsden PD, Griffiths CJ. Transmission of penile cuff pressure to the penile urethra. J Urol 2001;166:2545-9.
Clive J. Griffiths or Dr. Michael J. Drinnan, Freeman Unit, Newcastle upon Tyne. Tel: +44 (0)191-223-6161.
Regional Medical Physics Department, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE7 7DN, UK.
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