Improvement in quality of life after botulinum toxin‐A injections for idiopathic detrusor overactivity: results from a randomized double‐blind placebo‐controlled trial

OBJECTIVE To determine whether botulinum toxin‐A (BTX‐A) treatment has an effect on the quality of life (QoL) of patients with overactive bladder (OAB) refractory to anticholinergics. PATIENTS AND METHODS This was a single centre, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial. Participants were men and women with idiopathic detrusor overactivity (IDO). Participants were randomised to receive either 200 U of BTX‐A (Botox®, Allergan Inc., Irvine, CA, USA; n = 16) or placebo (n = 18) via a trigone‐sparing flexible cystoscopic technique. QoL was assessed using the King’s Health Questionnaire (KHQ) at baseline and at 4 and 12 weeks, after injection. At 12 weeks patients were ‘unblinded’ and a further open‐label follow‐up in the BTX‐A group occurred at 24 weeks. The changes in the subdomains of the KHQ were assessed over the study period. RESULTS Overall QoL was significantly improved in the BTX‐A treated patients compared with placebo in the blinded part of the study. When analysing the KHQ subdomains, ‘Incontinence Impact’, ‘Emotions’, ‘Physical Limitations’, ‘Social Limitations’ and ‘Severity Measures’ were significantly improved in those that received BTX‐A compared with placebo. The ‘Symptom Severity’ domain was also significantly improved at 4 weeks but not at 12 weeks. At 12 weeks ‘Role Limitations’ also became statistically significant in favour of BTX‐A. The open‐label extension study suggested these benefits last for at least 24 weeks. CONCLUSIONS BTX‐A bladder injections at 200 U appear to improve QoL in patients with OAB symptoms and IDO refractory to anticholinergics for at least 24 weeks. As well as the improvement seen in clinical parameters with this form of therapy, perhaps of more importance to the patient, is the improvement in QoL.