Enuresis Persisting into Adulthood

Introduction: Nocturnal enuresis is a very common finding in children to the extent that many families and caregivers, alike, may dismiss it as a developmental stage rather than a disease. Persistence of nocturnal enuresis into adulthood, however, has received little discussion and is surrounded by fallacies. Materials and Methods: All existing literature cited in PubMed between 1970 and 2005 were reviewed using the search entries “nocturnal enuresis and adult”. Result: Of the 220 papers reviewed, enuresis persisting into adulthood was covered in only 87. Those aspects pertinent to this subset of patients were placed in focus. Conclusion: In contrast to the numerous researches on childhood enuresis, persistent adulthood enuresis is an underdiscussed subject, distinct in a few aspects of its etiology and management described herein.