Review on chronic pelvic pain from a urological point of view

Chronic pelvic pain or interstitial cystitis (IC) is an enigmatic and frust rating condition to manage as physician and to cope with as patient. Patien ts report moderate to excruciating pain in the suprapubic and/or vaginal ar ea, urgency and frequency (up to 50 micturitions per day), and disruption o f their social life. Many patients are declared as drug addicted and neurot ic. Social status and the number of sexual partners showed no correlation w ith incidence. Diagnosis of IC is made by exclusion. A number of pathophysi ologic mechanisms have been proposed: changes in epithelial permeability, p elvic floor dysfunction, mastocytosis, activation of C-fibers, increase of nerve growth factors, and bradykinin. No single theory can explain IC.