Efficacy and safety of botulinum toxin injection for benign prostatic hyperplasia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Non-cosmetic use of botulinum toxin in surgical conditions

Botulinum toxin (BTX) is a neurotoxin that has an ability to create a fully reversible relaxation of muscles through decreased release of acethylcholin. It also has an effect on the cholinergic autoimmune nervous system, and it can reduce pain sensitization. BTX is widely used in cosmetic treatments. In recent years, BTX has increasingly been used to treat several medical and surgical conditions. In many cases, this is despite weak evidence and without approval from the European Medicine Agency (EMA). This narrative review describes how BTX is used in the different surgical specialties and provides a brief overview of the use of BTX for non-cosmetic surgical conditions.

Clinical Application of Botulinum Neurotoxin in Lower-Urinary-Tract Diseases and Dysfunctions: Where Are We Now and What More Can We Do?

Botulinum toxin A (Botox) had been considered a promising drug that has an effect on functional disorders of the lower urinary tract. Because Botox exhibits anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic effects, Botox injection into the bladder can decrease detrusor contractility, reduce bladder hypersensitivity, and eliminate painful sensations. Injecting Botox into the bladder outlet can relax the hyperactivity of the bladder neck, and of the urethral smooth and striated muscles. Based on these therapeutic effects, Botox has been widely applied to treat lower-urinary-tract dysfunctions (LUTDs) such as overactive bladder and neurogenic detrusor overactivity. However, this treatment has not been licensed for use in other LUTDs such as interstitial cystitis, voiding dysfunction due to benign prostatic hyperplasia in men, and dysfunctional voiding in women. Botox has also not been approved for the treatment of children with overactive bladder and dysfunctional voiding; in patients with spinal cord injuries with detrusor sphincter dyssynergia and autonomic dysreflexia; or for poorly relaxed external sphincter in non-neurogenic patients. This article reviews the current knowledge regarding Botox treatment for LUTDs and discusses the potential clinical applications of Botox, as well as work that can be conducted in the future.

[Minimally Invasive Therapy: What Is The Status In 2021 - What's Coming, What's Going?]

Due to the large number of men affected and a variable clinical presentation, the widespread disease "benign prostatic syndrome" requires individual treatment options tailored to the patient's specific clinical characteristics and wishes. If surgical treatment is indicated, there is a wide range of invasive procedures available. For a long time, transurethral resection of the prostate and simple prostatectomy were considered the gold standard, but these procedures are associated with increased morbidity and limitations in sexual function. Therefore, there is now an increasing call for minimally invasive treatment options that will provide effective and safe treatment in the outpatient setting. Over the past years, a variety of technologies and procedures have been developed and tested, but only a few of them have found their way into clinical practice, mostly due to insufficient functional results. For instance, transurethral needle ablation, transurethral microwave thermotherapy, intraprostatic botulinum toxin A or PRX302 injections as well as prostatic stents are no longer recommended. In contrast, the European Association of Urology is currently recommending UroLift, Aquablation and prostatic artery embolisation, which achieve significant long-term improvements in functional parameters while providing a good safety profile and preserved sexual function. Promising data are also available for the temporarily implanted nitinol device (iTIND), Rezūm, intraprostatic injection of fexapotide triflutate and transperineal laser ablation of the prostate, but the efficacy and safety of these procedures need to be confirmed in further studies.

[Minimally invasive treatment options for the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia]

Benign prostatic hyperplasia is one of the most common diseases of aging men. Hyperplasia of the glandular tissue can cause distressing lower urinary tract symptoms, which can be treated with both drugs and interventions. For a long time, transurethral resection of the prostate and simple prostatectomy were considered the gold standard of surgical treatment. In order to be able to offer patients an outpatient treatment with few complications, shorter hospital stays and high efficiency, a variety of minimally invasive treatment options have been developed. While recommendations have already been made for the excision by focused waterjet, prostatic urethral lift, and prostatic artery embolization, there are several other very promising procedures for which, however, long-term data and data from comparative studies with reference procedures must still be awaited.

Effect of bipolar radiofrequency thermotherapy on benign prostate hyperplasia

This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the new bipolar radiofrequency thermotherapy device (TEMPRO) in treating patients with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). Between December 2017 and November 2018, 72 male patients with BPH were included. All patients completed the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) questionnaires. Physical examinations were performed, and prostate volume, prostatic urethral length and post-voiding residual urine (PVR) were measured using ultrasound. Uroflowmetry was used to calculate the maximum flow rate of urination (Qmax). Bipolar radiofrequency thermotherapy was applied with TEMPRO system containing a 16Fr applicator. All patients were re-evaluated at 6 months post-operatively. The mean age of the patients was 63.22 ± 6.68 years. All patients were treated with local anaesthesia, and three patients were unable to complete the procedure. The median (IQR) visual analogue scale score was 1 (0-3) at 6 hr post-operatively. After 6 months, significant improvements were observed in the IPSS, QoL, Qmax and PVR values of the patients (p < .001 for Qmax, IPSS and QoL; p = .03 for PMR). The success rate of the procedure was similar between patients with prostate volumes <70 and >70 ml. Due to its low rate of complication, the TEMPRO^© treatment is effective in treating BPH, especially among aged patients and those with serious symptoms.

Can Botulinum Toxin A Still Have a Role in Treatment of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms/Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Through Inhibition of Chronic Prostatic Inflammation?

Patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) can exhibit various lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) owing to bladder outlet obstruction (BOO), prostatic inflammation, and bladder response to BOO. The pathogenesis of BPH involves an imbalance of internal hormones and chronic prostatic inflammation, possibly triggered by prostatic infection, autoimmune responses, neurogenic inflammation, oxidative stress, and autonomic dysfunction. Botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) is well recognized for its ability to block acetylcholine release at the neuromuscular junction by cleaving synaptosomal-associated proteins. Although current large clinical trials have shown no clinical benefits of BoNT-A for the management of LUTS due to BPH, BoNT-A has demonstrated beneficial effects in certain subsets of BPH patients with LUTS, especially in males with concomitant chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome and smaller prostate. We conducted a review of published literature in Pubmed, using Botulinum toxin, BPH, BOO, inflammation, LUTS, and prostatitis as the key words. This article reviewed the mechanisms of BPH pathogenesis and anti-inflammatory effects of BoNT-A. The results suggested that to achieve effectiveness, the treatment of BPH with BoNT-A should be tailored according to more detailed clinical information and reliable biomarkers.

Emerging drugs to target lower urinary tract symptomatology (LUTS)/benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH): focus on the prostate

OBJECTIVES

The benign prostatic syndrome, comprising lower urinary tract symptomatology secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia/enlargement, represents a major health care issue in westernized countries. The pharmacological management involves alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists, intervention into the hormonal control of prostate growth using inhibitors of the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase, and stimulation of the nitric oxide/cyclic GMP pathway by tadalafil, an inhibitor of the phosphodiesterase type 5.

METHODS

This review summarizes the achievements which have been made in the development of drug candidates assumed to offer opportunities as beneficial treatment options in the management of the benign prostatic syndrome.

RESULTS

A review of the literature has revealed that the line of development is focusing on drugs interfering with peripheral neuromuscular/neuronal mechanisms (nitric oxide donor drugs, agonists/antagonists of endogenous peptides, botulinum toxin, NX-1207), the steroidal axis (cetrorelix) or the metabolic turn-over (lonidamine), as well as the combination of drugs already established in the treatment of lower urinary tract symptomatology/benign prostatic hyperplasia (phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor plus alpha-adrenoceptor antagonist).

CONCLUSION

Many research efforts have provided the basis for the development of new therapeutic modalities for the management of lower urinary tract dysfunctions, some of which might be offered to the patients in the near future.

Outcome of Botulinum Toxin-A intraprostatic injection for benign prostatic hyperplasia induced lower urinary tract symptoms: A prospective multicenter study

INTRODUCTION

Our aim was to determine the factors predicting the outcome of intraprostatic injection of Botulinum Toxin-A (BTX-A) in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)-induced lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and to evaluate its efficacy and safety.

METHODS

Between September 2016 and May 2018, 45 Egyptian patients, with BPH-induced LUTS were included; the indication was a failure of medical treatment, unfit, or refusing surgical intervention. Measurements of prostate size by TRUS, total PSA level before and 12 weeks after injection. IPSS, uroflow, and postvoiding residual urine (PVR) were measured before injection, 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks postinjection. 100 U BTX-A vial was diluted with 10 mL of saline then injected into the transition zone at base and midzone of the prostate by TRUS.

RESULTS

The mean patients' age was 64.4 ± 6.6 years. Mean baseline IPSS 24.06 decreased to 18.75 at 2 weeks and progressively decreased to 16.37 at 12 weeks (P < 0.001), Q _max of 9.08 mL/s. increased to 10.44 at 2 weeks and 11.44 at 12 weeks (P < 0.001), mean prostate volume was 67.44cc; decreased to 66.06cc (P < 0.001) at 12 weeks and mean residual urine was 82.62 mL and decreased to 57.66 mL at 12 weeks.

DISCUSSION

Intraprostatic injection of BTX-A as modality treatment of LUTS/BPH significantly improve IPSS, Q _max , PVR, and decrease prostate volume. We can suspect better results with this line of treatment in patients with IPSS ≤ 22 and Q _max  ≤ 10 mL/min and prostate volume ≤ 56.5cc.

Efficacy and safety of fexapotide triflutate in outpatient medical treatment of male lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia

Male lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) is an increasingly important problem for the majority of late middle aged and elderly men. Fexapotide triflutate (FT) is a first in-class compound given by local injection via the transrectal intraprostatic route under ultrasound guidance. Data from >1700 FT and control injections in prospective randomized blinded controlled multicenter trials are reviewed and discussed in relation to current developments in the field of treatments for LUTS associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Long-term studies of FT in the United States have shown statistically significant improvement in BPH symptoms and objective outcomes including significant reduction in both spontaneous acute urinary retention as well as the subsequent incidence of BPH surgery. FT has been shown to be well tolerated with an excellent safety profile, and is an efficacious clinic-based treatment for BPH involving an intraprostatic injection that requires only a few minutes to administer, with no catheter nor anesthesia requirements.

[Use of botulinum toxin A in pelvic floor dysfunctions in the elderly: A review]

INTRODUCTION

The present article is the final report of a multi-disciplinary meeting supported by the GRAPPPA (group for research applied to pelvic floor dysfunctions in the elderly). The objective was to conduct a comprehensive review on the role of botulinum toxin A (BonTA) in the treatment of pelvic floor dysfunctions in the elderly.

METHODS

The present article, written as a comprehensive review of the literature, combines data issued from the scientific literature with expert's opinions. Review of the literature was performed using the online bibliographic database MedLine (National Library of Medicine). Regarding intra-detrusor BonTA injections, only articles focusing on elderly patients (>65 yo) were included. Regarding other localizations, given the limited number of data, all articles reporting outcomes of BonTA were included, regardless of studies population age. In case of missing or insufficient data, expert's opinions were formulated.

RESULTS

Although, available data are lacking in this specific population, it appears that BonTA could be used in the non-fraily elderly patients to treat overactive bladder or even neurogenic detrusor overactivity, with a success rate comparable to younger population at 3 months (88.9% vs. 91.2%), 6 months (49.4% vs. 52.1%) and 12 months (23.1% vs. 22.3%), as well as a significant decrease in number of voids per day (11.4 vs. 5.29 P<0.001) and in the number of pads per day (4.0 vs. 1.3, P<0.01). Furthermore, BonTA is likely to be offered in the future as a treatment of fecal incontinence and obstructed defecation syndrome symptoms. Concerning bladder outlet obstruction/voiding dysfunction symptoms, intra-urethral sphincter BonTA should not be recommended.

CONCLUSION

BonTA injections are of interest in the management of various pelvic floor dysfunctions in the elderly, and its various applications should be better evaluated in this specific population in order to further determine its safety and efficacy.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia

The minimally invasive procedures (mips) for the treatment of symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (bph) are presented as attractive techniques due to their ease of accomplishment and the possibility of outpatient treatment. This guideline aims to present recommendations that may assist in decision making in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia and indication of the different minimally invasive therapies. For this, a systematic review of the literature was performed, with the descriptors according to the pico: patient with benign prostatic hyperplasia, minimally invasive therapy, clinical outcome and adverse events. With no time restriction, in medline, cochrane central and lilacs databases via vhl, 1,007 papers were retrieved, of which 16 were selected to respond to clinical doubt. Details of the methodology and results of this guideline are set out in annex I.

Novel Applications of OnabotulinumtoxinA in Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction

OnabotulinumtoxinA (BoNT-A) was first used to treat neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD) 30 years ago. Recently, application of BoNT-A in LUTD have become more common since the approval of intravesical BoNT-A injection for patients with both overactive bladders (OAB) and neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) by regulatory agencies in many countries. Although unlicensed, BoNT-A has been recommended to treat patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) under different guidelines. BoNT-A delivery with liposome-encapsulation and gelation hydrogel intravesical instillation provided a potentially less invasive and more convenient form of application for patients with OAB or IC/BPS. BoNT-A injections into the urethral sphincter for spinal cord injury patients with detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia have been used for a long time. New evidence revealed that it could also be applied to patients with non-neurogenic dysfunctional voiding. Previous studies and meta-analyses suggest that BoNT-A injections for patients with benign prostate hyperplasia do not have a better therapeutic effect than placebo. However, new randomized and placebo-controlled trials revealed intraprostatic BoNT-A injection is superior to placebo in specific patients. A recent trial also showed intraprostatic BoNT-A injection could significantly reduce pain in patients with chronic prostatitis. Both careful selection of patients and prudent use of urodynamic evaluation results to confirm diagnoses are essential for successful outcomes of BoNT-A treatment for LUTD.

New and Emerging Technologies in Treatment of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms From Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

INTRODUCTION

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) from bladder outlet obstruction from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) occur in a large percentage of urologic patients. Treatment of this condition with medical and surgical therapy provides symptom relief but has serious adverse effects and causes sexual dysfunction. New technologies to treat BPH-associated LUTS aim to effectively treat urinary symptoms and minimize side effects and sexual dysfunction.

AIM

To review the efficacy of new and emerging therapies for treatment of LUTS from BPH.

METHODS

A literature search was performed to identify therapies for LUTS from BPH with early outcomes data within the past 5 years.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Improvement in International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and effect on sexual functions such as erectile and ejaculatory functions as measured on the International Index of Erectile Function and the Male Sexual Health Questionnaire.

RESULTS

Technologies introduced within the past 5 years include techniques using intraprostatic injectables, mechanical devices, and prostatic tissue ablation. Most technologies remain in the development phase and have only phase I and II studies available that show promising alleviation of urinary symptoms. Injectables have not typically surpassed placebo or sham effects, although special cohorts could be exceptions. Thus far, convective water vapor ablation therapy and prostatic urethral lift have shown the most promise, with short- and medium-term data available on phase III studies demonstrating significant improvement in IPSS with minimal impact on sexual function. Many of these technologies are limited in their potential treatment population by prostate size and conformation, whereas other therapies might be more generalizable.

CONCLUSION

Many new technologies aim to treat LUTS from BPH and minimize sexual side effects. Most therapies remain experimental, although prostatic urethral lift and water vapor ablation therapy have been brought to market and show promise. Long-term durability of symptom relief remains to be demonstrated. Gupta NK, Gange SN, McVary KT. New and Emerging Technologies in Treatment of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms From Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. Sex Med Rev 2018;7:491-498.

Investigational procedures in benign prostatic hypertrophy

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

As benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) becomes a more common disease, there has been a dramatic rise in the number of investigational procedures being developed to manage it. We seek to present an overview of the most recently developed treatments and present clinical data related to application wherever available.

RECENT FINDINGS

As a greater number of treatments become available for BPH, improved diagnostic testing could prove beneficial in helping guide patient selection. Efforts are underway to identify serum biomarkers associated with BPH as well as new classifications strategies, specifically with MRI, to determine both the anatomy of BPH as well as its histologic distribution. Outpatient-based procedures for BPH currently being developed include the temporary implantable nitinol device as well as intraprostatic injections such as Botox and PRX302. Aquablation is a novel technique that uses robotically guided high-pressured saline to ablate prostate tissue. Early data suggests noninferiority compared with TURP. Finally, efforts are underway to apply robotics to BPH with the advent of a robotic transurethral platform being designed for prostate enucleation.

SUMMARY

Many new techniques are poised to be introduced to the BPH market over the coming years. The unique risk/benefit profiles as well as associated clinical outcomes of each will need to be studied in detail in order to help identify proper roles in the management of patients with symptomatic disease.

Botulinum toxin and benign prostatic hyperplasia

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a clinical condition where lower urinary tract symptoms are caused by both a physically obstructing prostate as well as tight smooth muscles around the bladder outlet. Treatment of this condition with botulinum toxin has been used since 2003, but this interest has somewhat died down after two large randomized controlled trials (RCTs) showing equivalence of results between their treatment and placebo arms. However, with review of animal studies and unexplained exaggerated effect of the placebo arms of the two RCTs, together with recent data of sustained benefits after 18 months of treatment, the place of botulinum toxin in the BPH field is probably still present.

Correlation between Cholinergic Innervation, Autophagy, and Etiopathology of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

BACKGROUND

Whether cholinergic innervations and/or autophagy have a role in the etiopathology of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is still unknown. This study aimed to investigate the role of cholinergic innervation and autophagy in the etiopathology of BPH.

METHODS

Male, 13-week-old spontaneous hypertension rats (spontaneous BPH animal model) were divided into three groups: an experimental group (EG, n = 24), a control group (CG, n = 24), and a normal control group (NC, n = 10). The EG animals were intragastrically injected with tolterodine (3.5 mg/kg, twice a day), CG animals were intragastrically injected with physiological saline, and the NC animals did not receive any treatment. Rats were sacrificed every 4 weeks, and the prostatic gross morphological changes, wet weight/body weight (ww/bw), dry weight/wet weight (dw/ww), histological changes, ultrastructural changes, and LC3 immunohistochemistry were continuously observed and compared.

RESULTS

The gross morphological and ww/bw changes in the three groups were similar at every stage. The dw/ww (mg/mg) values of the EG at week 17, 21, 25, and 29 were 0.1478 ± 0.0034, 0.1653 ± 0.0036, 0.1668 ± 0.0045, and 0.1755 ± 0.0034, respectively, and the CG values were 0.1511 ± 0.0029, 0.1734 ± 0.0020, 0.1837 ± 0.0052, and 0.1968 ± 0.0045, respectively. The difference between EG and CG for dw/ww showed statistical significance after 21 weeks of age (week 21: P= 0.016, week 25: P= 0.008, and week 29: P= 0.001). Both EG and CG, prostatic glandular epithelial cell proliferation, and secretory function improved with age, but in EG, these improvements were slower than those in CG, and all the differences were statistically significant after 21 weeks. An increasing number of autophagosomes in the prostatic glandular cell cytoplasm, attenuation of LC3-I immunohistochemical staining, enhancement of LC3-II staining, and the ratio of LC3-II/LC3-I staining were all progressive in both groups, but the rate of change in EG was faster than that in CG, and these differences gained statistical significance after 25 weeks. Comparisons with regard to the above indexes between CG and NC showed no statistical significance at any stage.

CONCLUSIONS

Cholinergic innervations and activation of autophagy appear to have important functions in the etiopathology of BPH. Drug-mediated blockade of cholinergic innervations could delay the physiopathology processes. Moreover, overactivation of autophagy may also play an important role in this delay.

Update on minimally invasive surgery and benign prostatic hyperplasia

Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) became the gold standard surgical treatment for benign prostatic obstruction without undergoing randomized controlled trials against the predecessor standard in open suprapubic prostatectomy. TURP has historically been associated with significant morbidity and this has fuelled the development of minimally invasive surgical treatment options. Improvements in perioperative morbidity for TURP has been creating an ever increasing standard that must be met by any new technologies that are to be compared to this gold standard. Over recent years, there has been the emergence of novel minimally invasive treatments such as the prostatic urethral lift (PUL; UroLift System), convective WAter Vapor Energy (WAVE; Rezum System), Aquablation (AQUABEAM System), Histotripsy (Vortx Rx System) and temporary implantable nitinol device (TIND). Intraprostatic injections (NX-1207, PRX-302, botulinum toxin A, ethanol) have mostly been used with limited efficacy, but may be suitable for selected patients. This review evaluates these novel minimally invasive surgical options with special reference to the literature published in the past 5 years.

Use of botulinum toxin for voiding dysfunction

The use of botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) has expanded across a range of lower urinary tract conditions. This review provides an overview of the current indications for BoNT-A in the lower urinary tract and critically evaluates the published evidence within each area. The classic application of BoNT-A has been in the management of refractory neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) and overactive bladder (OAB). There is a large volume of high-quality evidence, including numerous randomized placebo-controlled trials, which demonstrate the efficacy of BoNT-A over a long follow-up period. The culmination of this robust evidence-base has led to onabotulinumtoxin A (onaBoNT-A) receiving regulatory approval as a second-line treatment for NDO at a dose of 200 U and OAB at dose of 100 U. Other applications for BoNT-A are used on an off-license basis and include interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS), benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and detrusor sphincter dyssynergia (DSD). These applications are associated with a less mature evidence-base although the literature is rapidly evolving. At present, the results for painful bladder syndrome (PBS) are promising and BoNT-A injections are recommended as a fourth line option in recent international guidelines, although larger randomized study with longer follow-up are required to confirm the initial findings. As a treatment for DSD, BoNT-A injections have shown potential but only in a small number of trials of limited quality. No definite recommendation can be made based on the current evidence. Finally, the results for the treatment of BPH have been variable and recent high quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have suggested no benefit over placebo so at present it cannot be recommended for routine clinical practice. Future advances of BoNT-A include liposome encapsulated formulations which are being developed as an alternative to intravesical injections.

Intraprostatic Botulinum Neurotoxin Type A Injection for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia-A Spotlight in Reality

Botulinum toxin is a neurotoxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. It inhibits the release of acetylcholine and other neurotransmitters from the nerve terminal. Botulinum toxin, specifically toxin type A (BoNT-A) has been used since the 1970s to reduce the muscular hypercontraction disorders. The application of BoNT-A in urology field started from intra-bladder injection for overactive bladder, which has been recognized as third line therapy in many countries. Since prostate gland as well as bladder is under the influence of autonomic innervation, theorectically, injection of BoNT-A into the prostate induces chemo-denervation and modulation of prostate function, and reduces lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). This article reviews the application of BoNT-A in patients with LUTS/ benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) from mechanisms of action to clinical results. BoNT-A has been shown to induce prostate apoptosis, downregulation of alpha 1A receptors, and reduce contractile function of prostate in animal studies. Open studies of intraprostate BoNT-A injection have demonstrated promising results of reducing LUTS and improvement of voiding function in human LUTS/BPH, however, intraprostatic BoNT-A injection did not perform better than the placebo group in recent publications of placebo controlled studies. We suggested that BoNT-A prostate injection might benefit selected population of BPH/LUTS, but it is unlikely to be an effective therapy for general population of male LUTS/BPH.

Use of Botulinum Toxin A in the Treatment of Lower Urinary Tract Disorders: A Review of the Literature

Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) is used to treat a variety of ailments, and its therapeutic application in lower urinary tract disorders (LUTDs) is well studied. Robust evidence supporting the efficacy and tolerability of BoNT in the treatment of neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) and non-neurogenic overactive bladder (OAB) has led to regulatory approval for these conditions. Use of BoNT in the treatment of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome, chronic pelvic pain, and detrusor sphincter dyssynergia has demonstrated some promise, but is still evolving and off-label for these indications. Trials to date do not support the use of BoNT for benign prostatic hyperplasia. This comprehensive review outlines the mechanisms of BoNT in the treatment of LUTDs in adults and presents background and updated data examining the efficacy and adverse events associated with the use of BoNT in common urologic applications.