Is Tadalafil an Effective Treatment Option for Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome? A Report of a Challenging Case

Interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS) is a chronic pelvic pain (CPP) syndrome that is frequently seen in female patients. Since its molecular mechanism and etiopathogenesis are not clearly elucidated, its treatment options are limited. Phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors act on nitric oxide (NO) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) and are an effective treatment option in some CPP syndromes. We discuss the case of a 44-year-old female patient who presented to our clinic with a two-year history of frequent urination and pain in the pelvic area. The cystoscopy of the patient, who did not benefit from first- and second-line treatments, was normal. With the diagnosis of IC/PBS, she was started on tadalafil (oral) 5 mg/day. At the end of a total of 12 months of follow-up, it was observed that the patient's symptoms significantly regressed. Based on our findings, the relaxing effect of PDE-5 inhibitors on the bladder neck/detrusor muscle and the vasodilator effect on the blood supply to the pelvic organs may have improved the patient's symptoms. In this case report, for the first time in the literature, we present the clinical outcomes of treatment with tadalafil (5 mg/day), which is a PDE-5 inhibitor, in a female patient with IC/PBS who did not respond to first-and second-line treatments. The results indicated that tadalafil, which shows activity through the NO-cGMP and prostaglandin pathway, is a potential alternative in IC/PBS patients resistant to conventional first- and second-line treatments.