Therapeutic Endoscopic Treatment Plus Maintenance Dimethyl Sulfoxide Therapy Prolongs Recurrence-Free Time in Patients With Hunner Type Interstitial Cystitis: A Pilot Study

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether hydrodistention with fulguration of Hunner lesions (HD/FUL) plus maintenance dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) therapy prolongs the recurrence-free time in patients with Hunner type interstitial cystitis (IC). METHODS: The study enrolled patients with Hunner type IC who required repeat HD/FUL due to recurrence of IC symptoms after the first HD/FUL at our institution. All patients received a second HD/FUL plus maintenance DMSO therapy. The maintenance DMSO therapy was performed every 2 weeks for a total of 8 instillations, and then once every 4 weeks thereafter. The recurrencefree time from HD/FUL to therapeutic failure was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The recurrence-free time between the first HD/FUL and second HD/FUL plus maintenance DMSO therapy was statistically compared using the log-rank test. RESULTS: A total of 21 patients (mean age, 66.3±10.8 years) with Hunner type IC were evaluated. The recurrence-free time for the second HD/FUL plus maintenance DMSO therapy was significantly longer than that for the first HD/FUL (P<0.0001). The median recurrence-free time for the first HD/FUL was 10.1 months, while that for the second HD/FUL plus maintenance DMSO therapy has yet to be reached. The recurrence-free rate for the first HD/FUL was 81.0% at 6 months, 38.1% at 1 year, 9.5% at 2 years, and 4.8% at 3 years. In contrast, the rate for the second HD/FUL plus maintenance DMSO therapy was 100% at 6 months, 94.7% at 1 year, 82.6% at 2 years, and 82.6% at 3 years. There were no significant differences in efficacy between the first and second HD/FUL. CONCLUSIONS: HD/FUL plus maintenance DMSO therapy clearly prolongs the recurrence-free time compared with HD/FUL alone in Hunner type IC.