Abstract:A clinical guideline and algorism for interstitial cystitis and hypersensitive bladder syndrome has been developed by a group of East Asian urologists as a revised form of the Japanese guideline for interstitial cystitis. The guideline defines interstitial cystitis (IC) as a disease of the urinary bladder diagnosed by 3 requirements; 1) a characteristic complex of lower urinary tract symptoms, 2) bladder pathology such as Hunner's ulcer and bladder bleeding after overdistension, and 3) exclusions of confusable diseases. The characteristic symptom complex is termed as hypersensitive bladder syndrome (HBS), which is defined as bladder hypersensitivity, usually associated with urinary frequency, with or without bladder pain. For the definite diagnosis of IC, cytoscopy or hydrodistension is crutial; HBS is the diagnosis when IC is suspected but not confirmed by the 3 requirements. Numerous therapeutic options are available; however, most of them lack in high level of evidence, leaving a few as recommended therapies. Etiology of IC are multifactorial; the interaction among nervous, immune and endocrine factors forms a vicious cycle, provocating and maintaining inflammatory reactions in the bladder. The inclusion and efficacy criteria for clinical trials should be standardized to enhance the clinical research for this disabling disease, which has proved to be more prevalent than previously believed.

OBJECTIVE To compare the clinical effectiveness of botulinum toxin type A (BoNT‐A) injections followed by hydrodistention (HD) with HD alone in patients with interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS). PATIENTS AND METHODS A prospective, randomized study was performed in a urological referral centre. In all, 67 patients with IC/PBS who had failed conventional treatments were enrolled. Of these, 44 patients received suburothelial injection with 200 U (15) or 100 U (29) of BoNT‐A followed by cystoscopic HD 2 weeks later (BoNT‐A groups). The control group (23 patients) received the identical HD procedure with no BoNT‐A injection. All patients remained on baseline medications of pentosan polysulphate throughout the study. Bladder pain visual analogue scale (VAS), O’Leary‐Sant symptom and problem indexes, functional bladder capacity (FBC) and urodynamic variables were measured at baseline and after treatment. Global response assessment was used to evaluate successful treatment response. RESULTS The IC/PBS symptom score significantly decreased in all three groups, but VAS reduction, FBC and cystometric bladder capacity increases were significant only in the BoNT‐A groups at 3 months. Of the 44 patients in the BoNT‐A group 31 (71%) had a successful result at 6 months. A successful result at 12 and 24 months was reported in 24 (55%) and 13 (30%) patients in BoNT‐A group, respectively, compared with only six (26%) and four (17%) in the control group (P = 0.002). CONCLUSION Intravesical injections of BoNT‐A followed by HD produced significantly better clinical results than HD alone in patients with IC/PBS.

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