High frequency of concomitant bladder, bowel, and sexual symptoms in huntington’s disease: A self-reported questionnaire study

Abstract

Huntington’s disease (HD) can be associated with pathologic involvement beyond the striatum including the autonomic nervous system. Bladder, bowel, and sexual dysfunction have been reported independently in HD, but little is known about their concomitant occurrence. To document this concomitant phenomena, forty-eight subjects (54% male, ages 28–74 years, CAG repeat 38–61) with manifest/symptomatic HD completed detailed questionnaires regarding bladder, bowel, and sexual function. In total, 45 subjects (93.8%) reported symptoms in at least one organ system (bladder, bowel, or sexual), 13 (27.1%) reported symptoms in two systems, and 19 (39.6%) reported concomitant symptoms in all three systems. Urinary problems were most frequent in 42 subjects (87.5%) followed by lower bowel (60.4%) and sexual dysfunction (56.2%). Participants reporting concomitant symptoms were more likely to have longer duration of disease and lower Total Functional Capacity (TFC) scores. This study documents the high frequency of bladder, bowel, and sexual dysfunction in HD and the common occurrence of concomitance of these pelvic organ problems.