ABSTRACT
Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a poorly understood clinical syndrome characterized by urinary
frequency, urgency, and varying degrees of pelvic pain. Although Hunner (1) described bladder
ulcerations as early as 1915, and descriptions of submucosal hemorrhages and reduced bladder
capacity were attributed to Hand (2) in 1949, the etiology and pathophysiology of the disease
remain unclear. Significant research contributions have been made in recent years with the
support of the Interstitial Cystitis Association and NIH-NIDDK, but fundamental questions
remain.
