Interstitial cystitis

Interstitial cystitis (or painful bladder syndrome) refers to an inflammatory condition affecting the bladder. It is usually defined as urinary bladder pain and irritative symptoms of more than six months' duration. It usually represents a diagnosis of exclusion. Traditionally, it has been defined as a chronic sterile inflammatory disease of the bladder of unknown etiology .

Epidemiology

It tends to commonly occur in young to middle-aged women .

Pathology

Its exact etiology is uncertain. Proposed theories of pathogenesis are wide and include chronic/subclinical infection, autoimmune phenomena, neurogenic inflammation or bladder urothelial defects.