Patient tolerance during cystoscopy: a randomized study comparing lidocaine hydrochloride gel and dimethyl sulfoxide with lidocaine.

Purpose: Cystoscopy is one of the most common examinations in urologic outpatient clinics. Various anesthetic approaches have been used to make cystoscopy more tolerable for patients. The aim of the present prospective randomized study was to evaluate the efficacy of lidocaine hydrochloride gel compared to dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) with lidocaine in rigid cystoscopy. Materials and Methods: Male patients requiring 17F rigid cystoscopy were eligible for inclusion in this study. A total of 140 patients were divided into two groups: group 1 (n = 70) received approximately 11 mL of 2% lidocaine gel intraurethrally, while in group 2 (n = 70) approximately 10 mL of 40% DMSO with an amount of lidocaine equal to that in the lidocaine gel was smeared around the scope and external urethral meatus. A penile clamp was placed for 15 minutes and 5 minutes in group 1 and group 2, respectively. Immediately after cystoscopic examination pain was scored on a 10-cm visual analog scale. Results: The mean pain scores after the...