Published 27 November 2008, doi:10.1136/bmj.a2325
Cite this as: BMJ 2008;337:a2325

Practice

Uncertainties Page

What is the most effective treatment of interstitial cystitis?

Joseph L Onwude, consultant gynaecologist and medical statistician

1 Springfield Hospital, Chelmsford CM1 7GU

Correspondence to: J L Onwude, Community Gynaecology Ltd, Chelmsford CM1 3RW jlonwude@btconnect.com

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The treatment of interstitial cystitis has many uncertainties, including which treatment is the most effective. Interstitial cystitis is a chronic inflammatory bladder disease that mostly affects women. It can present as recurrent non-bacterial cystitis or as chronic pelvic pain associated with frequency and urgency. It can take up to five years and five doctors to reach the correct diagnosis.w1 Patients with interstitial cystitis are not a homogeneous population. Two distinct types of disease—classic and non-ulcer interstitial cystitis—have been described on the basis of pathological findings, and some treatments might work better for one type than for the other.1 Currently no treatment ladder exists. Oral treatments should be first line and intravesical therapies second line.

Interstitial cystitis can be a debilitating disease and has been described in the United States as a major health problem.w2 The prevalence ranges from 5 per 100 000 women in Japan to 197 per 100 000 . . . [Full text of this article]


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Diagnosis of Interstitial Cystitis
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