title: Interstitial cystitis: epidemiology, pathophysiology, and clinical presentation.
abstract: Interstitial cystitis, or painful bladder syndrome, can present with lower abdominal pain/discomfort and dyspareunia, and pain in any distribution of lower spinal nerves. Patients with this condition experience some additional symptoms referable to the bladder, such as frequency, urgency, or nocturia. It can occur across all age groups, although the specific additional symptoms can vary in prevalence depending on patient age. It should be considered in patients who have other chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, irritable bowel, and vulvodynia. The cause is still largely not understood, although there are several postulated mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Obstetrics Gynecology and Women's Health, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 6420 Clayton Road, St Louis, MO 63117, USA. Electronic address: mclennan@slu.edu.
authors.forename: Mary T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: McLennan
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000367:Age Factors; D018856:Cystitis, Interstitial / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004414:Dyspareunia / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D059411:Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms / Q000209:etiology*; D008487:Medical History Taking; D053158:Nocturia / Q000209:etiology*; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Chronic pelvic pain; Interstitial cystitis; Nocturia; Painful bladder syndrome; Urgency/frequency