Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University Women's Healthcare, 1200 East Michigan Avenue, Suite 700, Lansing, MI 48912, USA.
Bladder pain syndrome--formally known as interstitial cystitis--is a chronic bladder disorder characterized by pelvic pain and urinary irritability symptoms. The physiopathology is still unclear but is thought to involve bladder mucosal injury, inflammation and neurologic dysfunction. It is hard to diagnose this entity due to symptoms that are common to several other pathologies such as chronic pelvic pain, endometriosis, overactive bladder, urinary tract infection, and vulvodynia, and due to the lack of specific findings. A combination of history, physical examination, and diagnostic tools helps the establishment of the diagnosis by ruling out other similar pathologies. Treatment is multimodal and combines behavioral changes, drugs administered orally or intravesically and even surgery for refractory cases.
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Mahmoud MS. Are you the author?
Reference: J Reprod Med. 2011 Sep-Oct;56(9-10):405-9.
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 22010524
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