Objective: To investigate what changes are endoscopically evident after glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) therapy by hyaluronic acid (HA) and chondroitin sulphate (CS) (Ialuril®) in female patients affected by bladder pain syndrome(BPS)/ interstitial cystitis (IC) or recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTIs). Patients and Methods: 21 female patients over 18 years affected by rUTIs or BPS/IC received intravesical instillation of HA and CS (4 weekly instillations followed by 2 instillations every 2 weeks and 2 instillation monthly). Post-treatment evaluation included cystoscopy and patient assessment of improvement in symptoms and satisfaction on a visual analogue scale (VAS) from 0 to 10. Results: The post-treatment endoscopy showed a positive effect on bladder mucosa morphology. In 2 cases, treatment did not change endoscopic findings and clinical symptoms. In the other patients, when macroscopic features of the bladder mucosa normalized, the clinical picture improved. Conclusions: GAGs therapy by HA and CS (Ialuril) improves the morphology of bladder mucosa in patients with rUTI or BPS/IC.

Keywords:
Hyaluronic acid, Chondroitin sulphate, Bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis, Recurrent urinary tract infections, Cystoscopy
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© 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel
2013
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