Urinary and psychological outcomes in women with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome following hyaluronic acid treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate urinary and psychological symptoms in patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) after intravesical hyaluronic acid (HA) treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty patients with newly diagnosed with IC/BPS undergoing 4 weekly intravesical HA instillations followed by 5 monthly instillations were recruited. Pre-treatment evaluation included a urinalysis and urinary culture, a 3-day voiding diary, and cystoscopy with hydrodistention of the bladder. Questionnaires containing hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), O'Leary-Sant score, Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Function Questionnaire (PISQ-12), and a pain visual analog scale were completed before and after treatment. Thirty age-matched, asymptomatic women were recruited as controls for assessing HADS scores, and comparison of urinary and psychological symptoms in patients before and after HA treatment.

RESULTS: The mean age (range 25-71 years old) and symptomatic duration (range 1-11 years) were 47 and 4.5, respectively. When compared with the control group, patients with IC/BPS had a significant increase in HADS depression subscale score and total score. Frequency, nocturia, bladder capacity, IC symptom and problem index scores, and pain score improved after 6 months of intravesical HA treatment. After HA treatment, 73% (n = 22) of patients showed improvement in their urological symptoms, but no significant changes were found in their HADS and PISQ-12 scores.

CONCLUSIONS: Bladder pain and lower urinary tract symptoms in patients with IC/BPS may improve after a 6-month intravesical HA treatment. However, no significant changes in their psychological and sexual functional scores were found.