Abstract
Background: Ketamine-associated cystitis (KC) is a new entity of disease. Our aim is to compare the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appearances of urinary bladder in recreational ketamine users with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and healthy subjects. Materials and Methods: MRI of pelvis was performed for 10 consecutive ketamine abusers with KC and 16 healthy young adults at a medical center in the northern Taiwan from January to December, 2011. The thickness of the bladder wall was measured and analyzed. All patients with KC had been diagnosed based on their history, clinical features and urodynamic study. Results: The mean bladder wall thickness of KC patients was significantly thicker than the control group (1.45±0.23 cm vs. 0.62 ± 0.50 cm, p < 0.001). There is significant positive correlation between the duration of ketamine usage and the thickness of bladder wall (r = 0.891, p =0.001); whereas the dosage of ketamine had weak positive correlation with the thickness of bladder wall (r = 0.413, p =0.235). Furthermore, the thickness of bladder wall was also strong correlated with maximum urethral closure pressure (MUCP; r = 0.855, p =0.002). Conclusions: Ketamine-associated cystitis causes increased bladder wall thickness which may be related to the bladder outlet obstruction. MRI is a useful tool to evaluate the bladder wall thickness and contributes to the diagnosis of ketamine associated cystitis.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Assessment of Patients with Ketamine-Associated Cystitis
