Urinary Tract Cancers

Which test did I have?

02/17/2008 05:23PM

Question:

About 10 years ago, I had a test at the Urology department of a local hospital; the records are lost and the doctor has moved. I thought that it was a cystogram. I had some sort of scope inserted up into my bladder and nitrogen gas was used to inflate the bladder and some sort of measurrements were taken. All that I can remember was that it was extremely painful. Any idea what test this was? Thanks.

Answer:

Nitrogen insufflation of the bladder was used in the past to perform what we now call "urodynamics"- a test that measures pressure-volume relationships for bladder usually used in patients that have neurologic problems with voiding (or suspicion of same). This is not always combined with insertion of a scope which is called "cystoscopy". Now, we use water or saline for filling the bladder in both tests.
Your urologist would have to provide you with the indications for doing the procedure and the findings of both tests.

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Response by:

James F. Donovan, Jr., MD
Director, Division of Urology
Professor of Surgery
Division of Urology
Department of Surgery
College of Medicine
University of Cincinnati