ABSTRACT
Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic bladder disorder typified by irritative voiding symptoms, bladder-based pelvic pain/ discomfort, and no readily identifiable cause such as urinary tract infection or bladder cancer. Symptoms are chronic and often debilitating. IC is a condition that can be seen in all age groups, although it usually strikes patients in their 20s to 40s, their most otherwise productive years. The ulcerative form of IC accounts for less than 10% of patients. Erythematous regions, or what have been termed “Hunner’s ulcers or patches,” can be seen upon routine cystoscopic examination. Histopathology of these regions usually demonstrates a panmural infiltrate of chronic and acute inflammatory cells. In clinical practice today, the diagnosis of IC is largely made on the basis of the correct clinical presentation and the lack of any other definable pathology that might cause those symptoms. Once the clinical features have been identified and no other pathology has been found, diagnosis of IC can be made.
