Bladder filling test

The bladder filling test is a urodynamic test that focuses specifically on the filling phase of the bladder. It consists of gradually filling the bladder with saline solution at a controlled rate while recording intravesical pressures and noting the patient's sensations. This test evaluates three essential parameters: bladder sensation (perception of the different levels of the need to void), bladder compliance (the ability of the bladder to distend without an excessive rise in pressure) and detrusor stability (the absence of involuntary contractions during filling). The test is performed at different filling rates (slow, medium, fast) depending on the clinical indications. Slow filling (10-20 ml/min) is more physiological and allows a better assessment of bladder sensation. Rapid filling can be used as a provocation test to reveal latent detrusor instability. The results of the filling test are fundamental for the diagnosis of overactive bladder, a poorly compliant (rigid) bladder and disorders of bladder sensation. They allow the treatment to be tailored: anticholinergics for overactivity, intradetrusor botulinum toxin injection, or surgical bladder augmentation for severely poorly compliant bladders.