Commentary to: Prospective comparative study on the effects of lidocaine on urodynamic and sensory parameters in bladder-pain syndrome

Excerpt

The above-named article assesses the effects of lidocaine on perceived pain and urodynamic parameters in bladder-pain syndrome (BPS). Twenty-four women with BPS were assessed, their diagnosis being based on symptoms and cystoscopic and urodynamic findings. Sixteen women were randomised to have 20ml of intravesically administered 2% alkalinised lidocaine, and eight women had 20ml of normal saline. Women were blinded to their allocation arm; pain scores, maximum cystometric capacity (MCC) and urodynamic sensation volumes were reported for pre- and post-instillation. The hypothesis was that lidocaine would distinguish between central and peripheral mechanisms of action for BPS, suggesting that it is a condition driven by a combination of both; assuming that failure to respond to lidocaine instillation suggests a more central sensitivity syndrome rather than peripherally mediated disease [1]. …