Pelvic floor muscle pain is associated with higher symptom scores and bladder pain perception in women with interstitial cystitis and bladder pain syndrome

Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is a heterogeneous, multifactorial disease with a high prevalence of somatic symptoms. A high percentage of women with IC/BPS also experience pelvic floor muscle pain (PFMP). This study investigated he association between PFMP and clinical characteristics in patients with IC/BPS.

This study evaluated the extent and severity of PFMP in women with IC and BPS. Demographics, sexual condition, IC symptom index (ICSI), IC problem index (ICPI), and Beck anxiety inventory and depression inventory were assessed. The objective assessment items included bladder wall thickness in computed tomography, urodynamic parameters, maximum bladder capacity (MBC) and glomerulation grade after cystoscopic hydrodistention, urine inflammatory proteins, and oxidative stress biomarkers.

A total of 9 women with IC and 83 with BPS were enrolled. A total of 85.8% of patients had PFMP. Patients with PFMP had higher rates of dyspareunia (p = 0.005), lack of sexual activity (p < 0.001), more comorbidities (p = 0.039), pain-predominant IC/BPS phenotypes (p = 0.04), higher IC symptoms (ICSI, p = 0.003; ICPI, p < 0.001), and higher levels of urinary biomarker MIP-1β (p = 0.004) than patients without PFMP. However, no significant correlation was found between PFMP and the bladder wall thickness, urodynamic parameters, MBC, or glomerulation grade.

PFMP is present in a high percentage of patients with IC and BPS and associated with higher IC/BPS symptom score and dyspareunia, but not with MBC or glomerulation grade in patients with BPS.