Beneficial effect of intranasal desmopressin for men with benign prostatic hyperplasia and nocturia: preliminary results.

The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of intranasal desmopressin in the treatment of nocturnal polyuria in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Twelve men with BPH were treated with intranasal desmopressin at bedtime for nocturnal polyuria. All patients underwent video-urodynamic evaluation. The number of nocturia episodes was the dependent variable. Exclusion criteria included nephrolithiasis, active urinary tact infection, and history of myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and angina. Ten of 12 patients improved with the intranasal desmopressin therapy. Nocturia episodes decreased from a median of 3.6 +/- 0.5 episodes/night before treatment to 1.8 +/- 1.1 episodes/night 3 months after therapy (p = .01). The American Urological Association symptom index decreased from 19 +/- 6 before treatment to 12 +/- 6 after therapy (p = .02). Hyponatremia did not occur. We conclude that intranasal desmopressin is a promising therapy for nocturnal polyuria in selected BPH patients.