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Updated: Jul 13, 2026
Anogenital Distance and Perineal Measurements of the Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) Quantification System
Published on: September 20, 2018
Prevalence of pelvic floor dysfunction in patients with interstitial cystitis
Kenneth M Peters1, Donna J Carrico, Scott E Kalinowski
1Ministrelli Program for Urology Research and Education, Department of Urology, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan 48073, USA.
Objectives:
To evaluate the prevalence of pelvic floor dysfunction in women with interstitial cystitis (IC).
Methods:
Women with IC and pelvic pain were referred to the Beaumont Women's Initiative for Pelvic Pain and Sexual Health program. A comprehensive patient history and pelvic examination were completed by a certified women's health nurse practitioner.
Results:
Seventy women with a mean age of 45 years were evaluated. Of these 70 women 87% had levator pain consistent with pelvic floor dysfunction. The mean levator pain score was 4.48 out of 10. Nearly two thirds of these women (64%) had their pain for 5 years or more, whereas one quarter (24%) had their pain for 1 to 3 years. Half of the women reported irritable bowel syndrome, and more than one third (36%) reported urge urinary incontinence.
Conclusions:
Women with IC may have pelvic floor dysfunction, as noted in this population in which 87% had levator pain upon examination. If pelvic floor dysfunction is diagnosed in IC patients, then therapy targeting the pelvic floor musculature may be considered as part of a multimodality approach to treating IC.
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