Fowler’s Syndrome—The Cause of Urinary Retention in Young Women, Often Forgotten, but Significant and Challenging to Treat

Abstract

Urinary retention in young women is a relatively rare clinical problem and is often underdiagnosed. In particular, functional causes of urinary retention pose a diagnostic challenge. One of them is Fowler’s syndrome, which is associated with impaired urethral relaxation. Fowler’s syndrome is characterized by a large bladder capacity, reduced sensation, increased maximal urethral closure pressure, and detrusor underactivity. Several hypotheses have arisen to explain the cause of urethral relaxation disorders: hormonal changes characteristic of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), causing abnormal stabilization of the muscle membrane, primary failure of relaxation of the striated muscle of the urethra sphincter, and increased urethral afferent activity, inhibiting the bladder afferent signals from reaching the brain by potentiating a spinal mechanism of urinary continence. Currently, sacral neuromodulation is the only intervention that can restore an atypical voiding pattern in women with Fowler’s syndrome. The therapeutic effectiveness exceeds 70%, although the revision rate is relatively high, exceeding 50%. Well-designed, long-term prospective studies comparing sacral neuromodulation (SNM) with other therapies such as pelvic floor muscle physiotherapy are warranted to offer the best patient-tailored treatment.