Urinary Retention - Causes

Causes

In the bladder

• Detrusor sphincter dyssynergia
• Neurogenic bladder (commonly pelvic splanchic nerve damage, cauda equina syndrome, descending cortical fibers lesion, pontine micturation or storage center lesions, demyelinating diseases or Parkinson's disease)
• Iatrogenic (caused by medical treatment/procedure) scarring of the bladder neck (commonly from removal of indwelling catheters or cystoscopy operations)
• Damage to the bladder

In the prostate

• Benign prostatic hyperplasia
• Prostate cancer and other pelvic malignancies
• Prostatitis

Penile urethra

• Congenital urethral valves
• Phimosis or pinhole meatus
• Circumcision
• Obstruction in the urethra, for example a metastasis or a precipitated pseudogout crystal in the urine
• STD lesions (gonorrhoea causes numerous strictures, leading to a "rosary bead" appearance, whereas chlamydia usually causes a single stricture)

Other

• Paruresis ("shy bladder syndrome")- in extreme cases, urinary retention can result
• Consumption of some psychoactive substances, mainly stimulants, such as MDMA and amphetamine.
• Use of NSAIDs or drugs with anticholinergic properties.
• Stones or metastases can theoretically appear anywhere along the urinary tract, but vary in frequency depending on anatomy
• Muscarinic antagonist such as Atropine and Scopolamine

Paruresis, inability to urinate in the presence of others (such as in a public restroom), may also be classified as a type of urinary retention, although it is psychological rather than biological.

Brain

• Mental retardation