[Usefulness of nocturnal urethral indwelling catheter for treating bladder dysfunction with nocturnal polyuria: case report of 3 women].

Clean intermittent catheterization is a well-known procedure of urinary drainage for patients who are unable to empty the bladder sufficiently. However, some patients with bladder dysfunction and nocturnal polyuria fail to obtain the benefits of intermittent catheterization and have annoying symptoms of nocturnal incontinence and low-compliance bladder, which threaten both their quality of life and renal function. We report the usefulness of nocturnal urethral indwelling catheterization using a specially designed catheter to treat patients (three women) with lower urinary tract dysfunction and nocturnal polyuria. Case 1: A 45-year-old woman with mental retardation suffered from difficulty of micturition and residual urine. A nocturnal urethral indwelling catheter freed her from difficulty with micturition and residual urine. Case 2: A 28-year-old woman with spina bifida and neuropathic bladder dysfunction suffered from urinary incontinence and recurrent pyelonephritis. The recurrent pyelonephritis was prevented and bladder compliance was improved with use of the nocturnal urethral indwelling catheter. Case 3: A 66-year-old woman with cervical myelopathy and multiple episodes of cerebral infarction suffered from nocturnal urinary incontinence. She underwent clean intermittent catheterization by her husband. Use of the nocturnal urethral indwelling catheter solved the problem of her nocturnal incontinence and relieved her husband of her nocturnal care. Nocturnal urethral indwelling catheterization is useful for treatment of nocturnal incontinence and recovery of bladder compliance in patients with lower urinary tract dysfunction and nocturnal polyuria.