If someone has experienced an injury to their spinal cord or if they have a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, they may also experience detrusor sphincter dyssynergia as well.  This condition involves a problem with the central nervous system that affects the bladder and urinary tract.  Symptoms of this problem typically include frequent urinary tract and bladder infections, constipation, and incontinence during both daytime and nighttime.  This condition can be painful, as it can be difficult to urinate and urinary retention can occur.

Detrusor sphincter dyssynergia occurs in someone who has had enough trauma to their nervous system to keep it from having the right reflexes and the ability to make the proper connections in the body.  People in the later stages of multiple sclerosis will often suffer from this condition due to their nervous system getting more and more damaged over the course of the disease.  More than 80% of people diagnoses with multiple sclerosis will experience this condition at some point in their disease.  Luckily, treatment for this condition can be used in conjunction with medications for multiple sclerosis.


Treatment Options for Detrusor Sphincter Dyssyndergia


Since this condition can be painful and also embarrassing, many people afflicted with it will want to get treatment.  The most common form of treatment currently is surgery.  This surgery is called an external sphincterotomy, and it involves cutting the internal sphincter muscle to relieve pressure.  This can help the bladder to empty normally, without pressure building up inside the bladder painfully.  After this procedure, many people can see satisfactory results for up to six years.  However, some people may still have occurrences of urinary tract or bladder infections and incontinence.  Since the surgery is also invasive, it can cause side effects.  Long-term monitoring may be required, and the surgery may need to be performed again if the condition returns.

Currently, there is no medication treatment for detrusor sphincter dyssyndergia.  Surgery and other invasive procedures such as dilation or ballooning are the only effective treatments.  However, medical professionals are coming to understand the condition better through testing such as x-rays or an EMG.  In the future, it is hoped that there will be an oral or intravenous medication that can help to relax the muscles and nerves, avoiding the need for invasive surgery options.