Interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS) comprises pain perceived to be from the bladder, urinary urgency and frequency, and nocturia.
As diagnosed at present, it is primarily identified in adult women. It is a chronic disease yet its natural history has not been well studied. In a prospective study of 304 incident female IC/PBS cases followed for a median of 33 months after onset, women with baseline chronic fatigue syndrome had a worse prognosis for IC/PBS. Mild IC/PBS at baseline was the only variable that was directly associated with a good prognosis.
OBJECTIVE:To identify baseline variables that predict the prognosis of interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS) in women seeking medical care for recent onset of this syndrome.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS:In a prospective study of women with incident IC/PBS (≤ 12 months of symptoms), we contacted patients at intervals and asked standardized questions about IC/PBS symptoms in the previous week. Logistic regression analyses assessed baseline variables as predictors of mild vs more severe IC/PBS at the last follow-up.
RESULTS:Median length of follow-up was 33 months after onset of IC/PBS; 304 (97%) patients had at least one follow-up assessment. Mild IC/PBS at baseline was the only variable that was directly associated with a mild IC/PBS endpoint. Conversely, a history of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) was inversely associated with a mild endpoint of IC/PBS (i.e. individuals with CFS had a worse prognosis for their IC/PBS symptoms).
CONCLUSIONS: At a median of nearly 3 years after onset, baseline mild IC/PBS was directly associated with a milder disease severity. Baseline co-morbid CFS was associated with more severe disease. Whether CFS was uniquely associated or represented several co-morbid non-bladder syndromes (NBSs) could not be determined.
Written by:
Warren JW, Clauw DJ, Langenberg P. Are you the author?
Department of Medicine Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD; Departments of Anesthesiology and Medicine, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Reference: BJU Int. 2012 Aug 9. Epub ahead of print.
doi: 10.1111/j.1464-410X.2012.11422.x
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 22882525
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