Bladder instability and denervation in patients with bladder outflow obstruction.

In vitro pharmacological studies were performed on endoscopic detrusor biopsies from patients with bladder outflow obstruction. Urodynamic studies had been undertaken to detect the presence of bladder instability. Muscle strips from patients with instability demonstrated supersensitivity to acetylcholine and reduction in nerve mediated responses, as compared with strips from stable bladders. These changes are interpreted as suggesting the presence of cholinergic denervation in obstructed patients with bladder instability.