Bladder Pain Syndrome: A Review

Abstract

Therapy of bladder pain syndrome (BPS) presents a significant challenge in clinical practice. Over the last 20 years, there have been important efforts directed at understanding the syndrome’s aetiology and therapeutic challenges. Data regarding disease progression, remission, and prevention are very limited and little is known about the risk factors for the development of associated symptoms over time. Several visceral pain syndromes and systemic diseases often occur together in the same patient. Patients are currently treated by different clinicians on an empirical basis with a variety of different medications and other treatment interventions. Treatment approaches are local or systemic and range from behavioural, to pharmacological, and finally to surgical, which altogether are focussed on optimising quality of life. Treatment of BPS often requires a trial and error approach. The aim of this review is to analyse and present contemporary literature regarding BPS.