ABSTRACT
The lower urinary tract is composed of the bladder, the bladder neck, the urethra and the urethral sphincter, which is part of the perineal and pelvic floor musculature. The main function of the lower urinary tract consists of storage and timely evacuation of urine, while preserving renal function. This is achieved by two functional units: the bladder (detrusor muscle), which serves as a reservoir, and the outlet (bladder neck, posterior urethra and external urethral sphincter), which controls evacuation. These subunits are innervated by the peripheral nerve supply to the genitourinary tract, which is under control of the central nervous system. In children, coordinated function generally requires normal maturation of the nervous system as well as normal anatomy. Disruption of the anatomy of the lower urinary tract, disintegration of the nervous system and dyscoordination of sequential functional
steps result in lower urinary tract dysfunction, with secondary problems such as urinary incontinence, obstructive uropathy, urinary tract infection (UTIs, vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) and renal damage. The morbidity of neuropathic lower urinary tract dysfunction is immense and usually necessitates lifelong medical treatment and surveillance.
