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Urological Disorders

"...Psychophysiological research on the bladders of 26 patients was carried out by Straub, Ripley and Wolf in 1949 with the same scientific rigour as members of their group had previously applied to the stomach, nose and colon. Hyperfunction was found to be associated with anxiety (tension), while hypofunction and retention, more usually with feelings of depression or being overwhelmed..."

Case Histories

"...A girl of 14, the youngest of six, developed acute nephritis in January. Her mother had abandoned the family the previous August, only leaving a note. The father, when interviewed, said that he and five of the elder children were weeping for a week but that the patient had not broken down, had remained strong and had done all the housework and cooking. At Christmas a friend had heard from the mother that she might return for a few days, and the patient spent several evenings in a telephone box waiting for news from the friend about her mother. Her hopes that her mother would return were finally dashed..."

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Urethral Syndrome, Detrusor Irritability or Pseudocystitis

"...This common condition causes much distress to sufferers, manly women. It results in repeated, costly, negative investigations by GPs, gynaecologists, urologists and sometimes neurologists. Zuffall [6] described it as "A syndrome ... which affects women and consists of urinary frequency, dysuria, 'pressure', pain in the low back, flank and suprapubic area." He added: "Although these symptoms are those of inflammation of the lower urinary tract, corroborative physical and laboratory findings are minimal if not absent altogether."
Sufferers from the condition in the UK unable to obtain relief have formed a self-help association (The Cystitis Association)..."

Hunner's Ulcer - Interstitial Cystitis

"...Cohen suggested that IC should be regarded as a migraine equivalent and treated as such. This accords with our experience and parallels our recommendation for the management of the much more common oral aphthous ulcers and the urethral syndrome..."

Factitious Haematuria

"...A condition consciously self-induced by adding blood from a pricked finger or excoriating the urethra is not by our definition psychosomatic and should really have no place here. However, as it is not as well recognised as dermatitis artefacta or other forms of malingering, it should be remembered in the differential diagnosis of haematuria and low pain when investigations are negative..."