Treatment of neurogenic bladder dysfunction in infants and children with neurospinal dysraphism with clean intermittent (self)catheterisation and optimized intravesical oxybutynin hydrochloride therapy

Clean intermittent (self)catheterisation (CIC) in combination with oral anticholinergic drugs (oxybutynin hydrochloride [OH]) is the present standard therapy for neurogenic bladder dysfunction (NBD) with detrusor hyperactivity. However, complete suppression of detrusor contractions and complete urinary continence is not always obtained despite maximal dosage, and the high incidence of severe systemic anticholinergic side-effects often impairs therapeutic compliance, resulting in dose reduction or even discontinuation of therapy. The intravesical administration of OH has been shown recently to be an effective alternative for treating persistent detrusor hyperactivity, and occurrence and severity of systemic side-effects appeared to be significantly decreased. However, available data are limited from a paediatric view. Furthermore, it is our belief that the use of crushed OH tablets with consequent problems of impracticability accounts for the variable long-term patient compliance reported to be the only disadvantage to intravesical OH. Using an optimized drug preparation we demonstrate the superiority of intravesical OH for treatment of NBD in 15 children (range 0.6-13.75 years, mean 6.1) with incomplete detrusor activity suppression and/or intolerable systemic side-effects on oral OH therapy. Since the previous reported problems of impracticability and variable long-term patient compliance can be resolved by optimized drug preparation, we therefore conclude that the era of crushing OH tablets should be over in order to allow the intravesical OH therapy on a long-lasting and large-scale basis.