A Scoping Review of the Oral Treatment Options for the Management of Detrusor Sphincter Dyssynergia.

Background: Adult neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction may be associated with detrusor sphincter dyssynergia (DSD). Given the sparsity of the literature and the absence of official guidelines regarding the use of oral medications in the management of DSD, this scoping review aims to critically assess the available evidence to guide future research and practice.

Methods: We conducted a systematic scoping review of articles published from 1950 to July 2023 using PubMed, MedLine, Scopus and CINAHL databases to assess all oral treatment options for DSD. All study designs were included. The search was limited to English and French literature regarding human patients over 18 years of age with DSD.

Results: Of the 899 records screened, 15 studies were included, involving a total of 257 participants. Alpha-adrenergic blockers, nitric oxyde and muscle relaxants have been used in the treatment of DSD. A decrease of postvoid residual volumes and an improvement of symptom scores as well as urine flow rates were reported in several studies. Regarding the alpha-adrenergic blockers, five of the six studies that detailed postvoid residual volumes and subjective improvement noted benefits in most patients. Additionally, two of the three studies that addressed mean flow rate observed improvements in most patients. All six studies that documented adverse effects found side effects in only a slight minority of patients.

Conclusions: Alpha-adrenergic blockers are promising, but there is lacking evidence on the oral treatment of DSD. This study highlights the importance of conducting more studies to draw solid conclusions and stop treating these patients empirically.