Interstitial Cystitis / Bladder Pain Syndrome Flashcards
What should be done in the office the first time you see a patient with suspected interstitial cystitis / bladder pain syndrome?
- -History
- -Physical
- -Baseline voiding symptoms (with at least one day voiding log)
- -Pain levels
- -IF COMPLEX: Cystoscopy, urodynamics
The basic assessment should include a careful history, physical examination, and laboratory examination to rule in symptoms that characterize IC/BPS and rule out other confusable disorders.
Baseline voiding symptoms and pain levels should be obtained in order to measure subsequent treatment effects.
ONLY IF COMPLEX: Cystoscopy and/or urodynamics should be considered as an aid to diagnosis only for complex presentations; these tests are not necessary for making the diagnosis in uncomplicated presentations.
What is the definition of IC/BPS?
“An unpleasant sensation (pain, pressure, discomfort) perceived to be related to the urinary bladder , associated with lower urinary tract symptoms of more than six weeks duration, in the absence of infection or other identifiable causes.”
Research Innovation Clinical Evidence (RICE) Bladder Pain Syndrome/IC (BPSIC) case definitions:
High Sensitivity definition:
- pain, pressure, or discomfort in the pelvic area
- daytime urinary frequency of 10+ or urgency due to pain, pressure, or discomfort (not fear of wetting)
High specificity definition:
- same criteria as high sensitivity but with:
- symptoms did not resolve after treatment with antibiotics
- no treatment
Exclusion criteria include conditions such as bladder cancer, spinal cord injury, pregnancy, and more.
Basic assessment for IC/BPS - Details
The clinical history should include questions about symptom duration.
IC is a chronic disorder and symptoms should be present for at least six weeks with documented negative urine cultures for infection.
The number of voids per day, sensation of constant urge to void, and the location, character and severity of pain, pressure or discomfort should be documented.
Dyspareunia, dysuria, ejaculatory pain in men and the relationship of pain to menstruation in women should also be noted.
The physical examination should include an abdominal and pelvic examination noting masses, tenderness, and presence of hernias. The pelvic examination should include palpation of the external genitalia, bladder base in females and urethra in both sexes focusing on areas of tenderness.
The pelvic floor muscles in both sexes should be palpated for locations of tenderness and trigger points. The pelvic support for the bladder, urethra, vagina, and rectum should be documented.
A focused evaluation to rule out vaginitis, urethritis, tender prostate, urethral diverticulum or other potential source of pain or infection is important.
A trial of antibiotic therapy is appropriate when infection is suspected; if symptoms resolve one might consider a course of antibiotic suppression to allow for full recovery.
A brief neurological exam to rule out an occult neurologic problem and an evaluation for incomplete bladder emptying to rule out occult retention should be done on all patients.
The basic laboratory examination includes a urinalysis and urine culture. If the patient reports a history of smoking and/or presents with unevaluated microhematuria, then cytology may be considered given the high risk of bladder cancer in smokers.
Urine culture may be indicated even in patients with a negative urinalysis in order to detect lower levels of bacteria that are clinically significant but not readily identifiable with a dipstick or on microscopic exam.
Treatment strategies for IC/BPS (state your general approach)
Treatment strategies should proceed using more conservative therapies first
Less conservative therapies employed if symptom control is inadequate for acceptable quality of life
Because of their irreversibility, surgical treatments (other than fulguration of Hunner’s lesions) are appropriate *only after other treatment alternatives have been exhausted,* or at anytime in the rare instance when an end-stage small, fibrotic bladder has been confirmed and the patient’s quality of life suggests a positive risk-benefit ratio for major surgery.
What should influence initial treatment type for IC/BPS?
Initial treatment type and level should depend on symptom severity, clinician judgment, and patient preferences; appropriate entry points into the treatment portion of the algorithm depend on these factors.
Multiple, simultaneous treatments may be considered if it is in the best interests of the patient; baseline symptom assessment and regular symptom level reassessment are essential to document efficacy of single and combined treatments.
When should ineffective treatments be stopped?
Ineffective treatments should be stopped once a clinically meaningful interval has elapsed.
The IC/BPS diagnosis should be reconsidered if no improvement occurs after multiple treatment approaches.
Pain management in IC/BPS
Pain management should be continually assessed for effectiveness because of its importance to quality of life. If pain management is inadequate, then consideration should be given to a multidisciplinary approach and the patient referred appropriately.
What are first line treatments for interstitial cystitis / bladder pain syndrome?
Patient education / behavioral modification
– Patients should be educated about normal bladder function, what is known and not known about IC/ BPS, the benefits v. risks/burdens of the available treatment alternatives, the fact that no single treatment has been found effective for the majority of patients, and the fact that acceptable symptom control may require trials of multiple therapeutic options (including combination therapy) before it is achieved.
–Self-care practices and behavioral modifications that can improve symptoms should be discussed and implemented as feasible.
–Patients should be encouraged to implement stress management practices to improve coping techniques and manage stress-induced symptom exacerbations.
Second line treatment for IC/BPS - less invasive
Appropriate manual physical therapy techniques (e.g., maneuvers that resolve pelvic, abdominal and/or hip muscular trigger points, lengthen muscle contractures, and release painful scars and other connective tissue restrictions), if appropriately-trained clinicians are available, should be offered to patients who present with pelvic floor tenderness. Pelvic floor strengthening exercises (e.g., Kegel exercises) should be avoided.
Multimodal pain management approaches (e.g., pharmacological, stress management, manual therapy if available) should be initiated.
Amitriptyline, cimetidine, hydroxyzine, or pentosan polysulfate may be administered as second-line oral medications (listed in alphabetical order; no hierarchy is implied).
Second line treatments for IC : more invasive
DMSO, heparin, or lidocaine may be administered as second-line intravesical treatments
What medications can be used as second line treatments for IC/BPS? Side effects?
Amitriptyline (25 mg daily titrated over several weeks to 100 mg)
-Sedation, drowsiness, nausea
Cimetidine (200 TID, or 300 or 400 mg BID)
-No major adverse effects
Hydroxyzine (10 mg daily titrated to 50 mg daily)
-If the patient has allergies, try this!
Pentosan polysulfate (100 mg TID) --Low adverse effect profile
- risk of macular damage and vision-related injuries
- retinal pigmentary maculopathy
- ophthalmologic history and retinal exam before PPS
What second line medication should be used for IC/BPS if the patient has allergies?
Hydroxyzine (10 mg daily titrated to 50 mg daily)
What are third-line treatments for IC/BPS?
Cystoscopy under anesthesia with short-duration, low pressure hydrodistension maybe undertaken if first- and second-line treatments have not provided acceptable symptom control and quality of life or if the patient’s presenting symptoms suggest a more invasive approach is appropriate.
If Hunner’s lesions are present, then fulguration (with laser or electrocautery) and/or injection of triamcinolone should be performed.
What are fourth line treatments for IC/BPS?
Intradetrusor botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) may be administered if other treatments have not provided adequate symptom control and quality of life or if the clinician and patient agree that symptoms require this approach. Patients must be willing to accept the possibility that post-treatment intermittent self- catheterization may be necessary.
A trial of neurostimulation may be performed and, if successful, implantation of permanent neurostimulation devices may be undertaken if other treatments have not provided adequate symptom control and quality of life or if the clinician and patient agree that symptoms require this approach.
Fifth line treatment for IC/BPS
Cyclosporine A may be administered as an oral medication if other treatments have not provided adequate symptom control and quality of life or if the clinician and patient agree that symptoms require this approach.
