MAST-CELL COUNTS ARE NOT USEFUL IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF NONULCERATIVE INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS

Purpose: Mast cell counts have been advocated as useful in the patholo gical diagnosis of interstitial cystitis. To determine the clinical si gnificance of mucosal and detrusor muscle mast cells we quantified mas t cells within the lamina propria and detrusor muscle in nonulcerative interstitial cystitis, and various inflammatory and neoplastic bladde r diseases. Materials and Methods: Mast cells from Giemsa stained sect ions were enumerated from 8 cases of clinically diagnosed nonulcerated interstitial cystitis and 32 control cases having inflammatory or neo plastic bladder disease. Cystectomy specimens from controls also inclu ded sections from normal (5) and inflamed transitional mucosa (4) dist ant from the invasive tumor. Results: There was no significant differe nce in mast cell counts when considered absolutely or relative to the muscle-to-mucosa ratio in cases of nonulcerative interstitial cystitis and controls. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that mast cell count s are not useful in the evaluation of nonulcerative interstitial cysti tis and do not represent a diagnostic criterion for inclusion or exclu sion of the disease.