INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS - ULTRASTRUCTURAL OBSERVATIONS ON DETRUSOR SMOOTH-MUSCLE CELLS

Ultrastructural investigation of detrusor muscle cells in biopsies fro m 13 patients (8 interstitial cystitis (IC) and 5 controls) was perfor med. In all IC-patients and in one control a varying number of smooth muscle cells revealed a characteristic oak leaf pattern with protrusio ns of the sarcolemma. The alterations may express degeneration of smoo th muscle cells. Although most probably non-specific yet highly charac teristic, the ultrastructural detrusor changes may be important in dia gnosing IC.