Relationship between the cross-sectional area of the lumbar dural sac and lower urinary tract symptoms: A population-based cross-sectional study

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the cross-sectional area of the dural sac (DCSA) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). This study included 270 Japanese participants from a community health check-up in 2016. Overactive bladder (OAB) was diagnosed during the assessment of LUTS. The smallest DCSA of each participant was defined as the minimum DCSA (mDCSA). The cutoff size of the mDCSA in OAB was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic analysis. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the independent risk factors for OAB, and a scoring system was developed for estimating these. The prevalence of OAB was 11.1%. Age and low back pain visual analogue scale (LBP VAS) scores were significantly higher, and the mean mDCSA was significantly lower in participants with OAB than in those without. The cutoff size of mDCSA in OAB was 69 mm(2). There were significant correlations between OAB and age, LBP VAS score, and mDCSA<70 mm(2). Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) should be considered a cause of LUTS when mDCSA is <69 mm(2). Assessing the mDCSA with age and LBP VAS score was more valuable in detecting LUTS in LSS than the mDCSA alone.