Current Diagnosis of Interstitial Cystitis: An Evolving Paradigm

Our approaches to the diagnosis of interstitial cystitis (IC) are evolving as a result of recent advances in our knowledge of the disease. With increasing awareness of IC prevalence and presentation, clinicians are identifying cases of IC earlier in the disease process. A diagnosis of IC can now be established without applying each step of the traditional diagnostic paradigm, which was designed to identify “classic” cases of IC. In this article, we present an updated paradigm for the diagnosis of IC based on recent clinical data and consensus discussions conducted at the International Consultation on Interstitial Cystitis in Japan (ICICJ) and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)/Interstitial Cystitis Association (ICA) research symposium in 2003. The diagnosis is established on the basis of a thorough physical examination and the patient’s history of urgency/frequency and/or pain in the absence of bacterial infection or malignancy. Use of a symptom questionnaire to capture and record the presence of all IC symptoms is helpful in establishing the diagnosis. In this evolving paradigm, all other diagnostic measures are optional. Evidence-based medicine does not require the use of either cystoscopy or urodynamics in a workup for IC.