ABSTRACT

Introduction

In the present review, based on the literature data search, we suggest that urinary retention or obstructed micturition in Fowler’s syndrome (FS) and posterior fornix syndrome (PFS) could be functionally related disorders, consistent with both syndromes being a consequence of laxity in the uterosacral ligaments (USLs).

Methods

This review was conducted by screening and gathering results of research papers from PubMed and Web of Science databases. External sources were not used. Relevant studies were searched by using keywords algo-rithm: ‘posterior fornix syndrome of the bladder’ [All Fields], ‘urinary retention’ [All Fields] AND ‘Fowler’s syndrome’ [All Fields].

Results

After searching ‘posterior fornix syndrome of the bladder’, and ‘urinary retention and Fowler’s syndrome’ keywords, in Pubmed we have found 45 articles from which 21 were abstracts and from Web of Science, we have found 48 articles from which 37 were abstracts. After including 9 articles from Pubmed and 7 from Web of Science, 4 similar articles were excluded regarding FS but with other causes than urinary retention. In the end, we gather only 7 full-articles from Pubmed and 5 from Web of Science. From the total of 12 full-text articles included from both databases, 4 were common articles in both databases and the final number of eligibility articles was 8.

Conclusions

Finally, based on literature screening, and hand searches of results from USL repair papers, confined to the discussion section of the paper, we sustain the fact that both FS and PFS could have similar underlying abnormalities in terms of ligamentous dysfunction and, based on these similarities, both were potentially curable by repairing the USLs (i.e. posterior intravaginal sling).