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NDT Plus Advance Access originally published online on February 27, 2008
NDT Plus 2008 1(2):80-84; doi:10.1093/ndtplus/sfn014
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© The Author [2008]. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of ERA-EDTA. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Interstitial cystitis: an enigmatic disorder of unclear aetiology

Dimitrios-Anestis Moutzouris1, Harissios Vliagoftis2 and Matthew E. Falagas3,4

1 Department of Nephrology, ‘Evangelismos’ General Hospital, Athens, Greece
2 Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
3 Alfa Institute of Biomedical Sciences (AIBS), Athens, Greece
4 Department of Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

Correspondence: Matthew E. Falagas, Alfa Institute of Biomedical Sciences (AIBS), 9 Neapoleos Street, 151 23 Marousi, Athens, Greece. Tel: +30-6946110000; Fax: +30-2106839605; E-mail: m.falagas@aibs.gr

Key Words: bladder pain syndrome • chronic cystitis • lower urinary tract symptoms • painful bladder syndrome

Received for publication November 26, 2007. Accepted for publication January 28, 2008.

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.


   Introduction
 
Interstitial cystitis (IC) is an enigmatic chronic disorder characterized by vague bladder pain of variable severity accompanied by urinary symptoms. Although it was initially thought to be a rather rare disorder, its prevalence has increased over years for various reasons including greater awareness by physicians and unclear diagnostic criteria.


   Definition and epidemiology
 
In 1990, the National Institute for Diabetes and Diseases of the Kidney (NIDDK) recommended the use of criteria for IC diagnosis [1] (Table 1). These criteria were soon recognized to be useful for scientific purposes but to be strict for clinical practice [2]. The International Continence Society (ICS) proposed the term ‘Painful Bladder Syndrome’ [3] (PBS). It was defined as the syndrome consisting of ‘suprapubic pain related to bladder filling accompanied by other symptoms, such as increased daytime and nighttime frequency in the absence of proven infection or other obvious pathology’ [3. . . [Full Text of this Article]


   Pathophysiology
 

   Clinical presentation
 

   Diagnosis
 
History and physical examination
Laboratory tests
Questionnaires and voiding diaries
Optional diagnostic procedures
Cystoscopy
Biopsy
Potassium sensitivity test (PST) and urodynamics

   Treatment
 

   Supportive therapies
 

   Specific therapies
 
Intravesical treatments
Oral treatments
Other treatments

   Teaching points
 

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