[Capsaicin in urology]

The introduction of capsaicin into modern urology is one of the most fascinating advances in neuro-urology. Most of the patients treated in the reported studies had failed to respond to other conservative therapies would possible needed more radical approaches to their incontinence including surgery. Intravesical capsaicin should be therefore regarded as a useful medical treatment in patients with detrusor hyperreflexia before surgical options are considered. Its mechanism of action is based on the "desensitation" of the sensory nerves of the bladder. The author summarises the most important clinical reports concerning the intravesical use of capsaicin and related historical data of such traditional uses of chili peppers in medicine.