Abstract
Alteration in neural control from suprapontine areas to the nerves innervating the
bladder can lead to bladder dysfunction and the development of a neurogenic bladder
(NGB). Patients with NGB often suffer from urinary incontinence, which can lead to
adverse events such as urinary tract infections and decubiti, in addition to creating
a large care burden for family members or healthcare providers and significantly impairing
patient quality of life. The common failure of anticholinergic medications has spurned
the development of second-line treatments, including the use of botulinum toxin. OnabotulinumtoxinA
(onaBoNT-A; BOTOX, Allergan, Inc.) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) in 2011 to treat neurogenic detrusor overactivity in patients with urinary incontinence
resulting from a NGB. In this review the authors summarize pertinent results from
key trials leading to FDA approval of onaBoNT-A as well as more recent long-term data.
Keywords
botulinum toxin - onabotulinumtoxinA - neurogenic bladder - neurogenic detrusor overactivity
- incontinence
