(52) PLATELET-RICH PLASMA FOR FEMALE SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION AND STRESS URINARY INCONTINENCE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract Objectives To study the efficacy and safety of PRP injections in women with the above pathologies. Methods A systematic search on PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library database was performed, as well as sources of grey literature until January 2023. After title/abstract and full-text screening, clinical studies on humans evaluating the efficacy of PRP in gynecological disorders using standardized tools were included. Risk of bias was undertaken with RoB-2 for randomized-controlled trials (RCT) and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for observational studies. Results Four prospective and one retrospective study explored FSD, while six prospective and one RCT evaluated female SUI. A total of 327 women with a mean age of 51±12 years were included. For FSD, PRP significantly improved the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), the Vaginal Health Index (VHI) and the Female Sexual Distress score (FSDS). For SUI, PRP led to a significant improvement of the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire – Short Form (ICIQ-SF), and the Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6). The identified RCT reported a significantly higher mean score of ICIQ-SF (p<0.05) and UDI-6 (p<0.01) in the midurethral sling group compared to the PRP injections group. Regarding risk of bias, the RCT was characterized by high-risk, whereas the observational studies were of moderate risk. Conclusions PRP injections should be further explored for the treatment of FSD and female SUI. Despite promising initial results, the level of current evidence is low due to methodological issues in the available studies. It becomes clear that there is an emerging need for high-quality research. Conflicts of Interest None.