Clinical manifestations and results of cystoscopy in women with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome

OBJECTIVE: Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) refers to diseases that are challenging to identify, diagnose and treat. Thus, there is a need to study the clinical and cystoscopic picture of IC/BPS. The present research aims to study the clinical manifestations and results of cystoscopy with hydrodistension in women with IC/BPS. METHODS: One hundred twenty-six women with clinically diagnosed IC/BPS were examined – their mean age was 46.7±14.0 years. Patients were surveyed on pelvic pain and urgency/frequency patient symptom score (PUF), visual analogue scale (VAS) and urgency severity scale (USS). All patients underwent a potassium test (PST) and cystoscopy with hydrodistension. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software version 15.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA). RESULTS: The average PUF score was 8.14±1.76 points, VAS – 5.45±0.93 points and USS – 2.63±0.91 points. A positive potassium test was detected in 91.3% of cases. The maximum average anatomical capacity of the bladder was 308.0±77.5 ml. The maximal cystometric capacity in women with mild pain was higher than among women with moderate and severe pain by 30.9% (p<0.05) and 53.0% (p<0.01), respectively. In most cases, mucosal changes were diffuse (n=57) or located in two parts of the bladder. One of the most common symptoms was the diffuse bleeding of the bladder mucosa (III degree). A statistically significant inverse correlation (r=-0.57, p<0.01) was found between the maximal cystometric bladder volume and the severity of the bladder mucosa changes. At the same time, a positive correlation was found between the severity of the bladder mucosa changes and the sum of points on the PUF questionnaire (r=+0.61, p=0.0003), the sum of points on the VAS questionnaire (r=+0.59, p=0.0008) and the USS questionnaire (r=+0.66, p=0.005). CONCLUSION: A relationship has been established between the clinical manifestations of IC/BPS among examined women and changes in the wall of the bladder. The data obtained from our investigation can help increase IC/BPS diagnostics and improve IC/BPS treatment results.