[Intravesical oxybutynin hydrochloride in the treatment of urge incontinence in the elderly]

This study was carried out to determine the effectiveness of intravesical oxybutynin hydrochloride on urinary urge incontinence in elderly people.

The subjects consisted of 13 patients with an average age of 75 years who demonstrated uninhibited detrusor contraction on cystometrogram. The trial protocol consisted of a pretreatment cystometrogram followed by the intravesical administration of 10 ml solution containing 5 mg oxybutynin hydrochloride (pH 5.85). The urodynamic studies were repeated one hour later.

The mean bladder capacity before and after one hour of intravesical oxybutynin hydrochloride was 161 +/- 62 ml and 196 +/- 71 ml (mean +/- 1 S.D., n.s.). The rate of improvement was 15.4% (2 cases) in all 13 patients. Four patients out of 13 patients continued intravesical administration of the solution twice daily. Urinary incontinence disappeared in two patients and incontinence was markedly decreased in one. In the remaining patient, urinary incontinence did not change because of increased residual urine. Three patients have continued this therapy over one years and no side effects were observed. In these patients, residual urine volume did not increase.

It is suggested that intravesical oxybutynin hydrochloride is an effective option of therapy for intractable urge incontinence in elderly people, however, the immediate posttreatment cystometrogram was not predictive of the response to intravesical therapy on overactive bladder in the elderly.