Intravesical therapy for overactive bladder

Overactive bladder and urgency incontinence are common conditions generally treated with oral anticholinergic therapy. Despite the development of new antimuscarinic agents, many patients do not tolerate or fail to respond to oral therapy. Intravesical instillation therapy can provide an alternative method of managing bladder overactivity. Intravesical instillation of anticholinergics such as oxybutynin and atropine can achieve cholinergic blockade without producing systemic side effects. Botulinum A toxin injected directly into the detrusor has been shown in preliminary studies to increase bladder capacity and decrease uncontrolled bladder contractility for up to 6 months. Intravesical local anesthetics such as lidocaine and bupivacaine block the conduction of unmyelinated C fibers and when administered into the bladder, lead to an increase in functional bladder capacity. Intravesical capsaicin and resiniferatoxin also affect afferent innervation by blocking C-fiber afferents, leading to decreased bladder contractility and increased bladder capacity. Intravesical instillation therapy can provide an alternative treatment for the management of overactive bladder.