Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome
Basics
Description
- A condition characterized by pain, pressure, or discomfort of the bladder or pelvic region associated with one or more of the following urinary symptoms: increased frequency, urgency, or nocturia
- A chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology, with associated urinary symptoms for >6 weeks without other identifiable causes such as infection or other pathology
- The symptoms in many patients are insidious, and the disease progresses for years with relapsing and remitting symptoms often before diagnosis is established.
- System(s) affected: renal/urologic
- Synonym(s): urgency frequency syndrome; IC/bladder pain syndrome; chronic cystitis; Hunner ulcer
Epidemiology
- Occurs predominantly among white patients
- Predominant sex: female > male (5:1) in patients 25 to 80 years of age
Incidence
1-year incidence has been reported as
- 21 per 100,000 female patients and 4 per 100,000 male patients
Prevalence
In the United States:
- Prevalence is variable.
- Up to 1.2 million female and 82,000 male patients are affected, but many cases likely are undiagnosed.
Etiology and Pathophysiology
Etiology is unclear, and pathophysiology is likely multifactorial.
Risk Factors
Unclear but some reported risks include the following:
- Recent urinary tract infection (UTI)
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Allergies
- History of sexual abuse
Commonly Associated Conditions
- Fibromyalgia/Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Depression and panic disorder
- Vulvodynia
- Sexual dysfunction
- Sleep disturbance
- Chronic prostatitis
- Chronic pelvic pain and pelvic floor dysfunction
- IBS
- Anal/rectal disease
- Chronic scrotal pain
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Citation
Domino, Frank J., et al., editors. "Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome." 5-Minute Clinical Consult, 33rd ed., Wolters Kluwer, 2025. Medicine Central, im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/5-Minute-Clinical-Consult/116325/all/Interstitial_Cystitis.
Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome. In: Domino FJF, Baldor RAR, Golding JJ, et al, eds. 5-Minute Clinical Consult. Wolters Kluwer; 2025. https://im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/5-Minute-Clinical-Consult/116325/all/Interstitial_Cystitis. Accessed December 3, 2024.
Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome. (2025). In Domino, F. J., Baldor, R. A., Golding, J., & Stephens, M. B. (Eds.), 5-Minute Clinical Consult (33rd ed.). Wolters Kluwer. https://im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/5-Minute-Clinical-Consult/116325/all/Interstitial_Cystitis
Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome [Internet]. In: Domino FJF, Baldor RAR, Golding JJ, Stephens MBM, editors. 5-Minute Clinical Consult. Wolters Kluwer; 2025. [cited 2024 December 03]. Available from: https://im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/5-Minute-Clinical-Consult/116325/all/Interstitial_Cystitis.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - ELEC
T1 - Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome
ID - 116325
ED - Domino,Frank J,
ED - Baldor,Robert A,
ED - Golding,Jeremy,
ED - Stephens,Mark B,
BT - 5-Minute Clinical Consult, Updating
UR - https://im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/5-Minute-Clinical-Consult/116325/all/Interstitial_Cystitis
PB - Wolters Kluwer
ET - 33
DB - Medicine Central
DP - Unbound Medicine
ER -