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A pilot study of botulinum toxin A for male chronic pelvic pain syndrome
Henry P Gottsch1, Claire C Yang, Richard E Berger
1Department of Urology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Objective:
Male chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) has been the subject of numerous clinical trials, but so far, no uniformly effective treatment has been identified. A commonly reported tender spot in men with CPPS is the bulbospongiosus muscle. A randomized placebo controlled pilot trial of botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) injection into the perineal skeletal musculature for the treatment CPPS was conducted.
Material And Methods:
Twenty-nine men with CPPS were identified from a urology clinic. Symptom evaluation was performed using a Global Response Assessment (GRA) and the Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (CPSI). All subjects were randomized to receive either BTX-A 100 U or normal saline injected into the perineal body and bulbospongiosus muscle.
Results:
BTX-A injection was administered in 13 men. At the 1 month follow-up there was a 30% response rate for BTX-A treatment compared with 13% for placebo (p = 0.0002), based on GRA results. Total CPSI score did not reach significance in the BTX-A-treated group, compared with controls. The CPSI pain subdomain score reached statistical significance in the BTX-A patients compared with controls (p = 0.05). The injections were well tolerated. There were no complications from the injections and no patients reported side-effects.
Conclusions:
BTX-A injection into the perineal body and bulbospongiosus muscle results in a modest response rate on the GRA compared with placebo for overall symptoms associated with CPPS. The treatment is well tolerated and safe. BTX-A use may enhance polytherapeutic pain management.
