Interstitial Cystitis Can Mimic Other Common Female Pelvic Conditions
Interstitial Cystitis (IC) is a chronic pain syndrome of the bladder that is often now included within Painful Bladder Syndrome (PBS). IC is noted for symptoms of pelvic pain, urgency, frequency, nocturia in the absence of bacterial infection.
Some surveys show that it may be present in up to 2% of all women. The chronic nature of the symptoms can be debilitating and have a profound negative impact on quality of life.
What causes IC is not well understood, but it may be secondary to defective bladder lining that then allows acid/other toxins to permeate into the bladder wall and lead to pain. Pain nerves are stimulated but perhaps maintain an “on” state where pain is perceived in the absence of the bad stimulus.
After a bladder infection is cleared with antibiotics, the pain and symptoms resolve. In IC the nerves that send pain signals may continue to be active despite the fact that no toxin/bacteria are present any longer.
So what common diagnoses can IC mimic? In other words, most or all of the following conditions are often diagnosed first, while IC becomes a diagnosis of exclusion once these common problems have been ruled out.
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Thank you for this comprehensive look at Interstitial Cystitis. I know several women dealing with this condition right now. The information on common diagnoses that IC can mimic was very helpful too.