Incidence of physician-diagnosed interstitial cystitis in Olmsted County: a community-based study.
OBJECTIVE
To obtain community-based information about the incidence of interstitial cystitis, a chronic disabling condition of the bladder where knowledge is limited because there are no definitive diagnostic criteria.


METHODS
All residents of Olmsted County, MN, USA who had received a physician-assigned diagnosis of interstitial cystitis between 1976 and 1996 were identified through the resources of the Rochester Epidemiology Project. The clinical findings at diagnosis and during the follow-up were ascertained from the community medical records for each study subject.


RESULTS
In all, 16 women and four men received a diagnosis of interstitial cystitis during the study period. The overall age- and sex-adjusted (95% confidence interval) incidence rate was 1.1 (0.6-1.5) per 100 000 population. The age-adjusted incidence rates were 1.6 per 100 000 in women and 0.6 per 100 000 in men (P = 0.04). The median (range) age at initial diagnosis was 44.5 (27-76) years in women and 71.5 (23-79) years in men (P = 0.26). The median number of episodes of care-seeking for symptoms before the diagnosis was one for women and 4.5 for men (P = 0.03). The median duration from the onset of symptoms until the first diagnosis was 0.06 and 2.2 years in women and men, respectively (P = 0.2).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that the incidence of interstitial cystitis in the community is extremely low. Although the gender difference may be real, the trend toward a later diagnosis in men than in women suggests a potential for missed diagnosis in men. This might explain some of the gender difference in the incidence of interstitial cystitis in men and women.
Roberts
R O
RO
Department of Health Sciences Research, Division of Epidemiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. roberts.rosebud@mayo.edu
Bergstralh
E J
EJ
Bass
S E
SE
Lightner
D J
DJ
Lieber
M M
MM
Jacobsen
S J
SJ
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D018856:Cystitis, Interstitial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008910:Minnesota / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution