Interstitial Cystitis

Interstitial cystitis, or bladder pain syndrome (commonly abbreviated to "IC/BPS"), is a chronic condition of unknown cause characterized by bladder pain which may be associated with urinary urgency, urinary frequency, waking at night to urinate (nocturia), and sterile urine cultures. This disease often has a profound impact on quality of life and can be disabling. Interstitial cystitis patients may have a quality of life comparable to that of a patient with rheumatoid arthritis, chronic cancer pain, or a patient on kidney dialysis. The condition is officially recognized as a disability in the United States.

Due to the nonspecific nature of the symptoms commonly observed in IC patients, other possible causes for the observed symptoms must be ruled out. Therefore, the diagnosis of interstitial cystitis is made as a diagnosis of exclusion. Patients with interstitial cystitis may have symptoms that overlap with other urinary bladder disorders such as: urinary tract infection (UTI), overactive bladder, urethritis, urethral syndrome, and prostatitis.