ABSTRACT
The function of the bladder and sphincters depends on an intact nervous system. Neurogenic bladder (NGB) dysfunction results from lesions or derangements in the nervous system and can result in a number of bladder problems, such as urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence, and retention. Acute pyelonephritis stems from ascending bacteriuria, which in NGB dysfunction, commonly arises from bacterial colonization in the lower urinary tract due to catheterization or poor bladder emptying. A more insidious—oftentimes silent—etiology for the loss of renal function in NGB dysfunction is the presence of chronically high pressures within the bladder in the absence of acute obstruction. In healthy bladders, the valvular function of the ureterovesical junction protects the low-pressure upper urinary tract from urine refluxing from the bladder. As stated in the introduction, healthy bladder and renal function depend on an intact nervous system.
