In a nutshell
This article investigated the safety and effectiveness of botulinum toxin-A (BTX-A) injections for the treatment of the lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The authors concluded that BTX-A injections are a safe and effective treatment option for these patients.
Some background
Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are common in men with BPH. The enlarged prostate can press on the urethra and make it harder to pass urine and completely empty the bladder. Trans-urethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is a well-known treatment option for BPH. It involves the removal of sections of the prostate that blocks the passage of urine through the penis. However, not all patients are fit for surgery or simply do not want to have it.
An alternative treatment option is with BTX-A injections. This is a toxin that helps stop muscle spasms when it is injected directly into the prostate. This helps ease the LUTS (nighttime urination, increased frequency of urination, increased urgency to urinate, difficulty starting urination and incomplete emptying of the bladder).
However, the long-term effectiveness and safety of BTX-A are still under investigation.
Methods & findings
The study involved 45 patients with BPH. How much urine they pass during urination (uroflow), how much urine remained in the bladder after urination (PVRV; postvoiding residual volume) and their international prostate symptom score (IPSS; measures the severity of their LUTS) were measured before the BTX-A injections. The patients were followed up at 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks after the injections.
After 2 weeks, IPSS of 24.06 decreased to 18.75 and decreased to 16.37 at 12 weeks. The prostate size decreased from 67.44cc to 66.06cc after 12 weeks. The PVRV decreased from 82.62 ml to 57.66 ml at 12 weeks.
The bottom line
The authors concluded that BTX-A injections are a safe and effective treatment option in patients with BPH.
The fine print
This study had a very small sample size (45 patients). Further studies are needed for stronger evidence.
Published By :
Prostate
Date :
Jun 12, 2019
