New studies on the diagnosis of interstitial cystitis and the treatment of prostatitis

May 10 2004

New studies on the diagnosis of interstitial cystitis and the treatment of prostatitis will be the focus of a press briefing during the AUA Annual Scientific Meeting on Monday, May 10, 2004 at 10 a.m. in the San Francisco Moscone Center. The briefing will be moderated by Kristene Whitmore, M.D., a spokesperson for the AUA and the director of the Pelvic Floor Institute at the Graduate Hospital in Philadelphia. Studies to be highlighted include:

Antimicrobials Ineffective in Treating Chronic Prostatitis / Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CP/PPS): Though the traditional means of treating men with CP/PPS, use of antibiotics and alpha-adrenergic receptor blockers (tamsulosin and ciprofloxacin) did not lead to significant change after six and 12 weeks of treatment.

Use of Saw Palmetto in Men with CP/PSS: Saw palmetto could provide clinical benefit in men with pelvic pain syndrome/chronic prostatitis, according to this two-institution placebo-controlled study. 142 men were enrolled, and followed up at 12-month and 18-month intervals. Men taking saw palmetto showed improvement on four statistical measuring documents.

Isolation of Biomarker for Interstitial Cystitis (IC): Characterized by an inflammation or thinning of the bladder lining, interstitial cystitis (IC) is a debilitating disorder affecting more than a million women in the United States. Currently, no diagnostic tool exists for this condition, and a proper diagnosis can often take years. The authors of this study take an important first step toward suggesting that a biomarker exists for IC – in an antiproliferative factor produced by epithelial cells in an IC-afflicted bladder.

Bladder Cancer Misdiagnosed as IC: In this retrospective review of patients seen in an IC center from 1998-2002, researchers found that irritative symptoms in six patients were actually caused by transitional cell carcinoma, rather than IC. Authors question whether simplified diagnostic criteria could result in this misdiagnosis.

“These studies shed great light on the way we diagnose and treat pelvic pain in both men and women,” Dr. Whitmore said. “These data mark an important step toward clinical change.”

Full abstracts are available online at https://www.auanet.org/.