The efficacy of hyaluronic acid instillations as therapy for patients with Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome (IC/BPS) has been demonstrated in some clinical studies, with response rates up to 70%. The aim of the study is to investigate the change in symptoms and quality of life in female patients with IC/BPS after intravesical instillations of hyaluronic acid used as first-line treatment. A retrospective single-center cohort study was conducted. Female patients, whose symptoms were compatible with the diagnosis of IC/BPS as defined by the International Continence Society, were treated with a variable number of intravesical instillations of a hyaluronic acid-based drug. Three validated questionnaires were administered by telephone to all patients, before the beginning of the treatment and 6 months after the last administration of the drug. A total of 50 patients with symptoms compatible with the diagnosis of IC/BPS were included in the study. The median number of instillations performed is 4. For all questionnaires, the median value was significantly reduced following treatment with intravesical instillations (p = 0.000). The present study has shown that intravesical hyaluronic acid treatment results in both statistically and clinically significant symptomatic improvement, thereby improving the quality of life of patients with IC/BPS.
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland). 2024 Jun 13*** epublish ***
Francesco Plotti, Gianna Barbara Cundari, Fernando Ficarola, Corrado Terranova, Carlo De Cicco Nardone, Roberto Montera, Daniela Luvero, Federica Guzzo, Adele Silvagni, Amerigo Ferrari, Donatella Caserta, Roberto Angioli
Research Unit of Gynaecology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, Via Alvaro del Portillo 200, 00128 Rome, Italy., Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy., Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Via di Grottarossa, n. 1035/1039, 00189 Rome, Italy.