ABSTRACT
Most recently the term painful bladder syndrome (PBS)/IC has been commonly used together and these describe a chronic pelvic pain (CPP) condition with episodic pelvic pain involving the lower urinary tract, bowel, pelvic floor, or gynecologic organs. The International Continence Society defines PBS as suprapubic pain related to bladder filling, with increased daytime and night-time frequency in the absence of proven urinary infection, and other obvious pathology (5) . The European Society for the study of IC (ESSIC) and the European Association of Urology define bladder pain syndrome (BPS) by pain in the bladder area increasing with bladder filling, urinary frequency, and nocturia. Pain may radiate to referred areas such as the groin, vagina, clitoris, rectum, sacrum, and pelvic floor, and may be relieved by voiding (6) . Included in this definition is pelvic pain syndrome which refers to commonly associated gynecologic pain conditions such as endometriosis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), vulvar pain, and pelvic floor pain. The ESSIC further defines BPS as type 1 with no obvious pathology on biopsy or cystoscopy; type 2 shows histological changes on biopsy but no changes at cystoscopy; and type 3 in which obvious cystoscopic changes are seen.
