A Comparative Study of Various Electrodes in Electromyography of the Striated Urethral and Anal Sphincter in Children

Summary— The series comprised 41 children aged 6 to 14 years consecutively referred with recurrent urinary tract infection and/or enuresis. Carbon dioxide cystometry was carried out in the supine and the erect position and combined with simultaneous electromyography (EMG). The external urethral sphincter was examined with a ring electrode mounted on a urethral catheter, while recordings from the striated anal sphincter were based on an anal plug electrode and perianal electrocardiographic (ECG) skin electrodes: 211 EMG and cystometric examinations were performed and all three methods gave satisfactory results. Correlation between them was good, as was reproducibility. Perianal surface ECG electrodes are recommended for the evaluation of functional disturbances of the external sphincter. They are painless, easy to use, and are well tolerated by the patient.