Botulinum A Toxin Intravesical Injections for Painful Bladder Syndrome: Impact Upon Pain, Psychological Functioning and Quality of Life

Introduction. To assess the impact of intravesically injected botulinum A toxin (BoNT/A) upon bladder pain, urological complaints, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and Quality of Life (QoL) in patients with painful bladder symptoms (PBS) refractory to conventional treatment. Patients and Methods. In this prospective study 14 patients received one injection of BoNT/A (200 U diluted in 20 ml 0.9% NaCl), under cystoscopic guidance. At pre- and 3 months post- treatment all patients underwent an urological assessment (voiding diary, urodynamics), a pain quantification on a visual analog scale (VAS), an evaluation with the 14-item Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) to assess symptoms of psychic and somatic anxiety, an evaluation with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) to assess depression, and the 36-item Medical Outcomes Study Short Form (SF-36) to assess QoL. Results. At pre-treatment all 14 patients had increased daytime and nighttime urinary frequency and high VAS scores. Nine patients had pathological HAM-A scores and all had pathological HAM-D scores. At the 3-month follow-up 10/14 patients reported a subjective improvement in pain. Mean VAS score, mean daytime and nighttime urinary frequency decreased significantly (p < 0.01, < 0.01 and < 0.01, respectively). All domains in SF-36 and HAM-A significantly improved (p < 0.01). All domains, except weight and sleep disorders, significantly improved in HAM-D, particularly somatoform symptoms (p < 0.01), cognitive performance (p < 0.01), and circadian variations (p < 0.01). Conclusion. In patients with refractory PBS with symptoms of anxiety, depression and poor QoL, BoNT/A intravesical treatment reduced bladder pain, improved psychological functioning, and well-being.