Efficacy and Safety of Submucosal Intravesical Injection of Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Treatment of Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome

TL;DR

A single injection of platelet-rich plasma into the bladder shows promise in treating interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome, with significant symptom improvement but some side effects.

Contribution

Demonstrates the potential of a single submucosal PRP injection as a novel treatment for IC/PBS.

Findings

61.54% of patients had successful outcomes after a single PRP injection session.

Significant improvements in pain, frequency, and bladder capacity were observed (p < 0.001).

11.5% of patients experienced hematuria and 15.4% had UTIs as side effects.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a single session of submucosal intravesical injections of autologous platelet-rich plasma in the treatment of IC/PBS resistant to conventional methods of treatment.

This is a prospective one-arm clinical trial that was conducted from April 2021 to April 2023 on 30 patients ranging from 30 to 50 years old with Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome symptoms (IC/PBS) not relieved by medical treatment. They were assessed by the O'Leary-Sant Interstitial Cystitis Symptom Index and problem indexes (ICSI) (ICPI). They received a single session of 20 submucosal injections of PRP and were assessed after 1, 3, and 6 months.

Four patients declined to show in the follow-up visits (13.3%) due to personal reasons and were excluded from the final analysis due to incomplete outcome data. Out of 26 patients, 16 patients (61.54%) were considered to have successful results, while treatment failed in 10 patients (38.46%). There was a highly statistically significant decrease in ICPI, ICSI, pain VAS score, frequency, nocturia, and functional bladder capacity (FBC) with a p value of < 0.001. Hematuria was observed in three patients (11.5%), while urinary tract infection (UTI) was detected in four patients (15.4%).

A single session of submucosal intravesical injections of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) presents a promising therapeutic option for patients with IC/PBS. The constrains of this research encompass the absence of a placebo arm, further randomized controlled trials are needed to prove its efficacy.

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