Chronic pelvic pain: the occurrence of interstitial cystitis in a gynecological population.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine what relationship exists between interstitial cystitis and chronic pelvic pain in patients. METHODS: A prospective study of 35 women with a complaint of chronic pelvic pain was performed between August 2002 and September 2003. These patients underwent a workup to exclude other causes of pelvic pain and underwent a laparoscopy and a cystoscopy with hydrodistention at 80 cm of hydrostatic water pressure. Results were obtained and quantified. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients (80%) were diagnosed with interstitial cystitis, 28 were diagnosed with endometriosis (80%), 24 had both disease entities simultaneously (69%), and 32 (91%) had endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, or both. Three patients (9%) had neither and were diagnosed with other pathologies. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic pelvic pain is a major concern for many women in the United States. Patients with chronic pelvic pain have traditionally been difficult to manage. A large percentage of women presenting with chronic pelvic pain have been shown to have endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, or both. Therefore, an appropriate workup for those individuals with chronic pelvic pain involves not only obtaining a good history and performing a good physical examination, but the possibility of a cystoscopy being performed when a laparoscopy has been deemed necessary for diagnosis of the pain. These procedures can serve as both a means for diagnosis and short-term treatment of these problems when encountered.     

The Overlap of Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome and Overactive Bladder

Objective:

We evaluated the prevalence of positive potassium sensitivity and cystoscopy with hydrodistention findings in patients with overactive bladder.

Method:

This was a prospective cohort study of 98 patients who presented with overactive bladder symptoms. The diagnosis of overactive bladder is established by the presence of irritable voiding symptoms. All patients completed a PUF questionnaire and underwent potassium sensitivity testing. Eighty patients underwent urodynamic testing, and 42 patients underwent cystoscopic hydrodistention while under general anesthesia.

Results:

The Potassium Sensitivity Test was positive in 59 (60.2%) of the 98 patients, 37 (56%) of wet overactive bladder patients, and 22 (68.8%) of dry overactive bladder patients. Their mean PUF score was 7. Thirty-three (78.5%) of the patients who underwent cystoscopic hydrodistention had glomerulations consistent with NIH criteria for interstitial cystitis, and 26 of these patients tested positive for potassium sensitivity. Fifty-one (63.8%) of the patients who underwent urodynamics tested positive for potassium sensitivity.

Conclusion:

Many patients with symptoms of overactive bladder with little or no pain have cystoscopic evidence of interstitial cystitis and a positive Potassium Sensitivity Test. Therapies directed toward the uroepithelial dysfunction and neural upregulation associated with interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome may be an important adjunct for patients who have failed or have had a partial response to anticholinergic therapy and behavior modification.     

Interstitial cystitis in persistent posthysterectomy chronic pelvic pain.

OBJECTIVES: Hysterectomies may be performed unnecessarily in women with chronic pelvic pain if the diagnosis of interstitial cystitis is not considered. The objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence of interstitial cystitis in patients with posthysterectomy chronic pelvic pain and to evaluate the efficacy of various therapies for interstitial cystitis. METHODS: A study was performed of 111 patients with chronic pelvic pain whose pain persisted after hysterectomy. Patients were screened with the Pelvic Pain and Urgency/Frequency symptom scale, and underwent Potassium Sensitivity Testing. Patients were treated with dietary changes alone or in combination with cystoscopic hydrodistention or oral pentosan polysulfate, or both of these, for 3 to 6 months. RESULTS: Of the 111 patients enrolled, 79% (n=88) were diagnosed with bladder dysfunction consistent with interstitial cystitis. For patients treated with dietary modification alone (n=33), the mean score on the Pelvic Pain and Urgency/Frequency questionnaire improved 15.4%, from 13.18 at baseline to 11.15 at follow-up. For patients treated with pentosan polysulfate or cystoscopic hydrodistention, or both, plus diet changes (n=78), Pelvic Pain and Urgency/Frequency scores improved 34.2%, from 15.01 to 9.87. CONCLUSION: In this study, nonsurgical treatment for interstitial cystitis resulted in a marked improvement in symptoms that had not improved with surgery. Without determining the origin of bladder pain, gynecologists should not proceed to hysterectomy in patients with chronic pelvic pain.     

The relationship between interstitial cystitis and endometriosis in patients with chronic pelvic pain.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to determine the relationship between interstitial cystitis (IC), endometriosis (endo), and chronic pelvic pain (CPP) in individuals in whom nongynecological and nonurological problems had been previously ruled out. METHODS: A prospective study of 162 consecutive women with a complaint of chronic pelvic pain seen in the clinic was performed between August 2002 and December 2005. These patients underwent a workup to exclude other causes of pelvic pain, had PUF (Pain Urgency and Frequency) questionnaires filled out, and underwent a laparoscopy and a cystoscopy with hydrodistention. Pain levels were determined, and treatment was reviewed and enumerated. Results were obtained and quantified. RESULTS: In this study, 123 (76%) patients were diagnosed with active endometriosis, 133 (82%) were diagnosed with interstitial cystitis, and 107 (66%) had both disease entities simultaneously. Thirteen (8%) patients were diagnosed with pathologies unrelated to endometriosis and interstitial cystitis. Pain levels were seen to decrease at 6 months in all groups of patients with the exception of those patients with endometriosis only. CONCLUSION: CPP is a difficult, taxing, and frustrating concern for many women in the United States. These individuals have traditionally been difficult to treat. A large number of women with CPP in our patient population have been shown to have endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, or both. Therefore, a workup for premenopausal individuals with CPP involves obtaining a history that keys into possible nongynecologic causes of pain, a complete accounting of urinary problems, and a thorough history of gynecological problems. A physical examination with a comprehensive history should be performed, and the investigation may include the possibility of a simultaneous laparoscopy and cystoscopy if warranted. These procedures can serve as both a means for diagnosis and treatment of these problems when encountered.     

The evil twins of chronic pelvic pain syndrome: endometriosis and interstitial cystitis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the value in the initial laparoscopic and cystoscopic evaluation of avoiding the unnecessary delay in diagnosing the "evil twins" of chronic pelvic pain syndrome, endometriosis and interstitial cystitis. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of 60 women ranging in age from 19 to 62. They underwent concurrent laparoscopy, cystoscopy, and hydrodistentions from January 1999 to October 2000. A gynecology and urology team performed these procedures in these 60 patients at a regional pelvic pain center in Northwest Ohio. RESULTS: Fifty-eight patients (96.6%) were diagnosed with interstitial cystitis by the presence of glomerulation and terminal hematuria according to National Institutes of Health criteria. A diagnosis of (active and inactive) endometriosis was found in 56 patients (93.3%). Biopsy-confirmed active endometriosis was found in 48 patients (80%). In the interstitial cystitis patient group (58), 54 patients had a diagnosis of (active and inactive) endometriosis (93.1%), and 47 patients had biopsy-confirmed active endometriosis (81%). In the group of 56 patients with a diagnosis of (active and inactive) endometriosis, 54 patients were found to have interstitial cystitis (96.4%). In the group of 48 patients with active biopsy-confirmed endometriosis, 47 have interstitial cystitis (97.7%). CONCLUSION: Patients with chronic pelvic pain syndrome are very difficult to manage. Eighty percent were found to have endometriosis and had numerous previous operations. Many patients failed to respond to multiple therapies. In many cases, pain persists even after a hysterectomy. Through our study, we showed the high prevalence and association of interstitial cystitis and endometriosis, the evil twins of chronic pelvic pain syndrome. It is absolutely necessary to perform both laparoscopic and cystoscopic examinations concurrently with the patient anesthetized in the initial evaluation and treatment of chronic pelvic pain syndrome to avoid unnecessary delay in making the diagnosis of the evil twins, because chronic pelvic pain syndrome can be caused by either or both of these entities. It is very important to have the gynecologists and urologists working as a team in making an early diagnosis to resolve these chronic debilitating diseases.     

Patients With Chronic Pelvic Pain: Endometriosis or Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome?

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis and interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome share similar symptoms. Interstitial cystitis was once considered rare, but it is now recognized as more common than previously thought. This review examines evidence that patients presenting with symptoms typically attributed to endometriosis or with unresolved pelvic pain after treatment for endometriosis may, in fact, have interstitial cystitis, and suggests approaches for appropriate diagnosis. METHODS: A MedLine search using "chronic pelvic pain," "endometriosis," "interstitial cystitis," and "bladder origin pain" as key words was performed for the most recent English-language articles. Additional references were obtained through cross-referencing the bibliography cited in each publication. DISCUSSION: The symptoms of endometriosis and interstitial cystitis frequently overlap, and these 2 conditions may even coexist in the same patient. In cases of unresolved endometriosis and persistent pelvic pain, patients may have interstitial cystitis. A variety of tools are available to aid in identifying interstitial cystitis. CONCLUSION: Gynecologists should be alert to the possible presence of interstitial cystitis in patients who present with chronic pelvic pain typical of endometriosis.     

Anterior vaginal wall tenderness (AVWT) as a physical symptom in chronic pelvic pain

Background and Objectives:

Chronic pelvic pain is often difficult to diagnose and treat properly. Physicians called on to treat this problem may not be able to give a specific diagnosis. The aim of this study was to see whether the physical presence of anterior vaginal wall tenderness could help narrow down and elucidate diagnoses in a practice focusing on diagnosis and treatment of chronic pelvic pain.

Methods:

The study cohort comprised 284 patients with chronic pelvic pain limited to gynecologic and lower urinary problems. Histories, physical examinations, and endoscopic procedures were performed on each patient. An analysis of this information was conducted.

Results:

Of the chronic pelvic pain patients, 78% had endometriosis, 81% had interstitial cystitis, and 61% had both concurrently. The sensitivity of anterior vaginal wall tenderness (AVWT) in patients with interstitial cystitis was 95%, and in those with only endometriosis and no interstitial cystitis, the sensitivity was 17%. The positive predictive value for interstitial cystitis was 85%, and for endometriosis it was 67%.

Conclusions:

Examination of the anterior vaginal wall with an empty bladder at the initial examination can lead one to suspect interstitial cystitis and possibly either concomitant or singular endometriosis and allow the physician to approach the workup accordingly.     

Von der Endorganerkrankung zum klassifizierbaren Blasenschmerzsyndrom

Growing clinical and scientific data imply that the condition currently called interstitial cystitis is not just a mere bladder end-organ disease but that the symptoms perceived to be related to the bladder are rather one aspect of a complex pelvic pain syndrome. The term bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC) suggested by the European Society for the Study of IC/PBS (ESSIC) for this condition is currently the only one strictly consistent with the taxonomy guidelines of the European Association of Urology and the International Association for the Study of Pain. BPS would be diagnosed on the basis of chronic pelvic pain, pressure, or discomfort perceived to be related to the urinary bladder, accompanied by at least one other urinary symptom such as persistent urge to void or urinary frequency. Confusable diseases as the cause of the symptoms must be excluded. Classification of BPS types might be performed according to findings at cystoscopy with hydrodistention and morphologic findings in bladder biopsies. The end-organ condition interstitial cystitis has thus become a chronic pain syndrome with a predominantly neurovisceral pathophysiology. In daily practice, therapeutic approaches aiming at both the peripheral bladder urothelium and central nervous targets should be combined. A multimodal treatment strategy, such as the combination of tricyclic antidepressants with instillation therapy, still appears reasonable and justified.     

Bladder necrosis following hydrodistention in patients with interstitial cystitis

PURPOSE: Bladder hydrodistention is used to diagnose and treat patients with interstitial cystitis. This procedure has been shown to have minimal morbidity and provide symptomatic relief in a subset of patients with interstitial cystitis. We report our experience with almost total bladder necrosis after hydrodistention at 2 institutions. To our knowledge this rare complication has not been previously reported in the literature. We also reviewed the literature regarding complications of hydrodistention and discuss their possible etiology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We report 3 cases of bladder necrosis after therapeutic hydrodistention for interstitial cystitis at 2 institutions. All records were reviewed, and the clinical presentation, findings and treatments are discussed. A literature review was performed to evaluate the effectiveness and complications of hydrodistention for interstitial cystitis. RESULTS: There were 2 female and 1 male patient between ages 29 and 46. All patients had a previous diagnosis of interstitial cystitis and had been previously treated with hydrodistention. All patients presented with severe abdominal pain and had necrosis of the entire bladder wall with sparing of the trigone. Two patients were treated with supratrigonal cystectomy. A review of the literature revealed little data on the effectiveness of hydrodistention for interstitial cystitis. CONCLUSIONS: Vesical necrosis is a rare but devastating complication of hydrodistention. It can occur in young patients in the absence of a contracted bladder and it usually presents as severe postoperative abdominal pain. At exploration bladder necrosis with sparing of the trigone was observed. All patients required enterocystoplasty.     

Symptoms of interstitial cystitis, painful bladder syndrome and similar diseases in women: a systematic review

PURPOSE: In women symptoms of interstitial cystitis are difficult to distinguish from those of painful bladder syndrome and they appear to overlap with those of urinary tract infection, chronic urethral syndrome, overactive bladder, vulvodynia and endometriosis. This has led to difficulties in formulating a case definition for interstitial cystitis, and complications in the treatment and evaluation of its impact on the lives of women. We performed a systematic literature review to determine how best to distinguish interstitial cystitis from related conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed comprehensive literature searches using the terms diagnosis, and each of interstitial cystitis, painful bladder syndrome, urinary tract infection, overactive bladder, chronic urethral syndrome, vulvodynia and endometriosis. RESULTS: Of 2,680 screened titles 604 articles were read in full. The most commonly reported interstitial cystitis symptoms were bladder/pelvic pain, urgency, frequency and nocturia. Interstitial cystitis and painful bladder syndrome share the same cluster of symptoms. Chronic urethral syndrome is an outdated term. Self-reports regarding symptoms and effective antibiotic use can distinguish recurrent urinary tract infections from interstitial cystitis in some but not all women. Urine cultures may also be necessary. Pain distinguishes interstitial cystitis from overactive bladder and vulvar pain may distinguish vulvodynia from interstitial cystitis. Dysmenorrhea distinguishes endometriosis from interstitial cystitis, although many women have endometriosis plus interstitial cystitis. CONCLUSIONS: In terms of symptoms interstitial cystitis and painful bladder syndrome may be the same entity. Recurrent urinary tract infections may be distinguished from interstitial cystitis and painful bladder syndrome via a combination of self-report and urine culture information. Interstitial cystitis and painful bladder syndrome may be distinguished from overactive bladder, vulvodynia and endometriosis, although identifying interstitial cystitis and painful bladder syndrome in women with more than 1 of these diseases may be difficult.     

Prolonged hydrodistention of the bladder for symptomatic treatment of interstitial cystitis: efficacy at 6 months and 1 year

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of hydrodistention of the bladder for symptomatic treatment of interstitial cystitis after 6 months and 1 year of follow-up and to identify a predictive factor. METHODS: The study included 65 consecutive patients (a first retrospective series of 33 and a second prospective series of 32) treated by hydrodistention of the bladder for urinary symptoms attributed to interstitial cystitis. All experienced pain on bladder filling, which was relieved by micturition or bladder voiding, and had more than two nocturias. Glomerulations were detected at short hydrodistention during cystoscopy. No patients were subject to NIH exclusion criteria. Hydrodistention was performed continuously for 3 h without rest intervals under epidural anesthesia using a balloon with a pressure equal to the patient's mean arterial pressure. Efficacy was defined as the disappearance of pain on bladder filling or the persistence of moderate, non-disabling pain for which the patient did not request treatment, and a low frequency of nocturia (zero to two times). The efficacy period was estimated according to Kaplan-Meier methods for survival curves. The second series was used to verify the analytic results of the first series. RESULTS: Treatment efficacy was 12/32 (37.7% CI: 20.7-54.3) at 6 months and 7/32 (21.9% CI: 7.6-36.2) at 1 year for the first series, and 18/30 (60.0% CI: 45.0-75.0) at 6 months and 13/30 (43.3% CI: 25.6-61.1) at 1 year for the second series. In both series, results were better for the subgroup of patients with a bladder capacity > or = 150 ml during cystometry before distention. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed good but transient efficacy in the least developed or least severe forms of the disease.     

Role of cystoscopy and hydrodistention in the diagnosis of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome

There are controversies about whether cystoscopy with or without hydrodistention (HD) plays a role in the diagnosis and treatment of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS). We reviewed the recommendations of various societies and associations of greater impact in this complex disease, analyzing the indications, technique, findings and complications of this procedure.     

间质性膀胱炎16例的诊断与治疗

目的探讨间质性膀胱炎(IC)的诊断和治疗方法。方法回顾分析16例IC患者的临床资料,患者主要表现为尿频、尿急、耻骨上疼痛和慢性盆腔疼痛,误诊为慢性膀胱炎、盆腔炎、子宫内膜异位症、膀胱结核及尿道综合征,经手术后病理或膀胱镜检查确诊,其中4例行尿流改道,2例行乙状结肠膀胱成形术,10例行药物治疗。结果4例患者行尿流改道治疗后盆腔疼痛完全消失。2例行膀胱成形术后仍有轻微会阴部不适,膀胱容量大于350 m l,分别随访24,33个月无复发。10例非手术治疗患者O′Leary-Sant间质性膀胱炎症状评分和IC问题评分分别由治疗前的(15.4±4.1)和(9.4±2.7)分,降至治疗后的(4.1±2.1)和(5.1±3.9)分。结论对IC的诊断和鉴别诊断应给予充分重视;及早诊断及多种措施联合治疗,可显著改善IC患者的症状,提高生活质量。     

Comparison of cystoscopic and histological findings in patients with suspected interstitial cystitis

PURPOSE: Although the exact etiology of interstitial cystitis remains elusive, bladder inflammation appears to be common in many patients. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have established diagnostic criteria for interstitial cystitis based on the presence of irritative voiding symptoms in the absence of other identifiable pathology. Cystoscopic examination with hydrodistention performed in patients under anesthesia is part of the NIH diagnostic criteria. We determine if the severity of cystoscopic findings correlated with histological evidence of inflammation in patients with suspected interstitial cystitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 69 patients who met NIH symptom criteria for interstitial cystitis and underwent cystoscopy, hydrodistention and bladder biopsy under anesthesia were reviewed. There were 2 investigators blinded to the histological data who independently reviewed operative reports. A urological pathologist blinded to the clinical data reviewed biopsies for inflammation severity. Cystoscopic and histological findings were then converted to a numeric scale. Numeric data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient. RESULTS: Cystoscopic examination revealed no evidence of interstitial cystitis in 6 patients (9%), mild changes in 27 (39%), moderate changes in 23 (33%) and severe changes in 13 (19%). Histological examination revealed no inflammation in 21 patients (30%), mild inflammation in 28 (41%), moderate inflammation in 11 (16%) and severe inflammation in 9 (13%). Histological scores correlated poorly with total and scaled cystoscopic severity scores (r = 0.295 and 0.349, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Severity of cystoscopic findings observed during hydrodistention with anesthesia does not appear to correlate with the degree of inflammation identified histologically in patients with suspected interstitial cystitis.     

Clinical guidelines for interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome

The clinical guidelines for interstitial cystitis and related symptomatic conditions were revised by updating our previous guidelines. The current guidelines define interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome as a condition with chronic pelvic pain, pressure or discomfort perceived to be related to the urinary bladder accompanied by other urinary symptoms, such as persistent urge to void or urinary frequency in the absence of confusable diseases. The characteristic symptom complex is collectively referred as hypersensitive bladder symptoms. Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome is divided into Hunner-type interstitial cystitis and bladder pain syndrome; Hunner-type interstitial cystitis and bladder pain syndrome represent interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome with Hunner lesions and interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome without Hunner lesions, respectively. So-called non-Hunner-type interstitial cystitis featured by glomerulations or bladder bleeding after distension is included in bladder pain syndrome. The symptoms are virtually indistinguishable between Hunner-type interstitial cystitis and bladder pain syndrome; however, Hunner-type interstitial cystitis and bladder pain syndrome should be considered as a separate entity of disorder. Histopathology totally differs between Hunner-type interstitial cystitis and bladder pain syndrome; Hunner-type interstitial cystitis is associated with severe inflammation of the urinary bladder accompanied by lymphoplasmacytic infiltration and urothelial denudation, whereas bladder pain syndrome shows little pathological changes in the bladder. Pathophysiology would also differ between Hunner-type interstitial cystitis and bladder pain syndrome, involving interaction of multiple factors, such as inflammation, autoimmunity, infection, exogenous substances, urothelial dysfunction, neural hyperactivity and extrabladder disorders. The patients should be treated differently based on the diagnosis of Hunner-type interstitial cystitis or bladder pain syndrome, which requires cystoscopy to determine the presence or absence Hunner lesions. Clinical studies are to be designed to analyze outcomes separately for Hunner-type interstitial cystitis and bladder pain syndrome.     

A case of familial clustering of interstitial cystitis and chronic pelvic pain syndrome

A case of familial clustering of interstitial cystitis (IC) and chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS), a symptom complex similar to IC that occurs in men, is reported. The proband was a 28-year-old woman with a 6-month history of severe frequency, urgency, and genital pain. After cystoscopy with hydrodistention and biopsy, a diagnosis of IC was made. IC was also diagnosed in the patient's mother and in two of her brothers, previously considered to have CPPS (category IIIB CPPS). A third brother was asymptomatic. This case highlights the importance of genetic factors in the onset of symptoms and natural history of IC and CPPS.     

Cystoscopy-assisted laparoscopic resection of extramucosal bladder endometriosis

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Involvement of the bladder is seen in only 1% to 2% of patients with endometriosis. The diagnosis of vesical endometriosis is difficult to formulate, and it should be confirmed by cystoscopy with biopsy. However, this examination is often insufficient because of the submucosal-transmural location of the lesion. Therefore, laparoscopic examination represents the gold standard for the diagnosis of pelvic endometriosis. We describe a case of recurrent bladder endometriosis treated by a combined endoscopy technique. Case Report: A 43-year-old woman presented with pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, and persistent cystitis. The endometriotic lesion on the posterior wall of the bladder consisted in a 2.5-cm nodule growing into the vesical muscularis and raising the overlying peritoneum. We performed laparoscopic resection employing a cystoscopy-assisted technique in order to preserve the integrity of the vesical mucosa. Resection was carried out and monitored from inside the bladder with the cystoscope and laparoscope lights turned on during the whole procedure ("light-to-light" technique). CONCLUSION: This minimally invasive combined endoscopic procedure could represent a good alternative to partial cystectomy for muscle-infiltrating bladder endometriosis that does not involve the vesical mucosa.     

Intravesical instillation of resiniferatoxin for the patients with interstitial cystitis

Although hydrodistention of the bladder is accepted as the initial treatment for patients with interstitial cystitis (IC), second-line treatment for worsening symptoms is not concretely established. Resiniferatoxin (RTX) desensitizes bladder afferent c-fibers and its intravesical instillation is effective for patients with detrusor overactivity. We studied the clinical relevance of intravesical treatment with RTX for patients with IC. The treatment was performed for 3 patients with incomplete improvement after hydrodistention. All 3 patients were free of bladder pain posttreatment and had slight improvement of the maximum voided volume. Though RTX treatment requires general anesthesia against severe bladder pain it is effective for selected patients with interstitial cystitis and can be potentially used as one of the treatment options.     

Early Identification of Interstitial Cystitis May Avoid Unnecessary Hysterectomy

Background:

Interstitial cystitis is a clinical syndrome characterized by symptoms of pelvic pain, urinary urgency and frequency, and nocturia. It can be difficult to accurately identify interstitial cystitis because the symptoms overlap many other common gynecologic and urologic conditions. Patients with undiagnosed interstitial cystitis may undergo unnecessary procedures, including hysterectomy.

Methods:

A PubMed literature search for articles dating back to 1990 was conducted on the topics of interstitial cystitis and hysterectomy. Further references were identified by cross-referencing the bibliographies in articles of interest.

Results:

The literature review found that hysterectomy is performed more often in patients with undiagnosed interstitial cystitis than in patients with a confirmed diagnosis. Interstitial cystitis often coexists with conditions like endometriosis, for which hysterectomy is indicated. Many patients subsequently diagnosed with interstitial cystitis continue to experience persistent pelvic pain despite having had a hysterectomy for chronic pelvic pain. Careful history and physical examination can identify the majority of interstitial cystitis cases.

Conclusion:

Interstitial cystitis should be considered prior to hysterectomy in women who present with pelvic pain or who experience pelvic pain after a hysterectomy. If interstitial cystitis is diagnosed, appropriate therapy may eliminate the need for hysterectomy.     

HOW DO PATIENTS WITH INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS PRESENT?

PURPOSE: We determined how interstitial cystitis progresses from initial symptoms to diagnosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the records of 45 patients to determine the dates of symptom onset and diagnosis, and sequence of urgency/frequency, nocturia and pain. We also documented alternate and previous diagnoses, and previous surgical treatments. RESULTS: Of the patients 89% presented with only 1 symptom. Median time from the initial symptom to all symptoms was 2 years (mean 5.5). The most common previous diagnoses were urinary infection in 19 cases, a gynecologic diagnosis in 14 and urethral diagnoses in 6. A previous urinary infection was documented in only 1 of 19 patients, while 11 had undergone hysterectomy and 5 diagnosed with endometriosis had no pathological documentation available. CONCLUSIONS: Early interstitial cystitis presents variably and usually with only a single symptom of urgency/frequency, nocturia or pain. Clinicians may fail to appreciate the symptoms of early interstitial cystitis, which leads to delayed diagnosis until the patient is more symptomatic. With time multiple symptoms manifest. Bacterial cystitis, prostatitis, endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain are common initial misdiagnoses. Interstitial cystitis should be considered when laboratory documentation of alternate diagnoses is lacking or when patients fail to respond to therapy for alternate diagnoses.