Prevalence of interstitial cystitis symptoms in women: a population based study in the primary care office

We estimated the prevalence of urinary symptoms related to interstitial cystitis (IC) in women in a primary care practice and confirmed in the United States the results of a Finnish population based prevalence study.

Every female patient presenting to our office for a routine office visit between January 9, 2004 and September 24, 2004 was evaluated for urinary symptoms using 2 validated surveys, namely the O'Leary-Sant (OLS) IC symptom and problem index, and the Pelvic Pain and Urgency/Frequency (PUF) patient symptom scale.

Of the 1,218 women in the study group 13 (1.1%) reported severe symptoms and problems (12 or greater on the OLS survey), including 7 (0.6%) who met previously established criteria for probable IC. In the same population scores on the PUF questionnaire indicated that 154 women (12.6%) likely had IC.

Based on previously published criteria for use of the OLS survey the prevalence of urinary symptoms corresponding to probable IC in our study population (575/100,000 or 0.57%, 95% CI 150 to 1,000) was similar to the 0.45% rate previously reported. However, the results of the PUF questionnaire indicated that the prevalence of IC in women may actually be much higher (12,600/100,000 or 12.6%, 95% CI 10,700 to 14,500). We suggest that the true prevalence of IC in women may be somewhere between these 2 extremes. Further investigation of these questionnaires as screening tools for IC is warranted. IC may be more common in women than previously reported.