Capsaicin and neurological bladder dysfunction: literature review

n the last decade capsaicin, pungent ingredient in hot chilli peppers, has been used in the management of selected patients with urge urinary incontinence, not responding to anticholinergic conventional therapy. Intravesical capsaicin gives the possibility to selectively act directly on the bladder. Two important limits of capsaicin are its pungency and its ineffectiveness in the treatment of patients with idiopathic detrusor instability or sensory urgency. A brief overview of the chemical structure of capsaicin, the anatomical localisation and function of its receptors, its possible mechanism of action and its clinical use is provided.