Impaired detrusor contractility: anything new?

Impaired detrusor contractility (IDC) is a poorly defined entity that represents a treatment challenge for the urologist. The etiology of IDC is variable and may include neurologic disorders, inflammatory conditions, and pharmacologic and psychogenic causes. The gold standard for the treatment of IDC is clean intermittent catheterization (CIC). Although well-established as efficacious and safe, CIC may be conceived as a major burden on a patient's quality of life and has been associated with urinary tract infections and urethral and/or bladder injury. Alternative treatment modalities for IDC can be divided into interventions at the nervous system supplying the bladder, the bladder itself, or the bladder outlet. We review and discuss novel and creative treatment options for patients with IDC that have been developed or tested over the past decade.