Treatment of bladder pain syndrome and interstitial cystitis: a systematic review

Bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC) has various treatments; however, no standardized treatment has been established. The aim was to analyze different types of treatment of BPS/IC and their effectiveness.

A literature review with a search strategy for articles related to BPS/IC published between 1990 and 2014 was conducted on MEDLINE, PUBMED, and SCOPUS. Only randomized controlled trials in women were included in the meta-analysis, while other experimental studies were used as bases for a systematic review of the topic. Clinical trial quality was defined according to the Jadad scale.

Of 356 articles, 13 were included in the analysis. The intervention methods were as follows: instillation of hyaluronic acid, botulinum toxin A, intravesical lidocaine, hyperbaric chamber, massage, physiotherapy, phosphate-buffered saline, piroxicam in combination with doxepin, and others. We did not find any treatment with at least two randomized controlled trials for meta-analysis. Among the assessment tools for symptoms of BPS/IC, the most frequently used were the visual analogue scale, voiding record, and the O'Leary-Sant questionnaire.

Existing studies were not able to define the best approach for the treatment of BPS/IC. The lack of standardized treatment may be related to the diversity of interventions used; therefore, further studies with better methodological quality are needed.