Current best practice in the management of cystitis and pelvic pain

Bladder pain syndrome (BPS) is a difficult disorder to diagnose and subsequently manage despite having been recognized for more than 200 years according to references in medical literature. There are currently three widely accepted guidelines on BPS: the American Urological Association Guidelines; the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in conjunction with the British Society of Urogynaecologists Guidelines; and the European Association of Urology Guidelines. These guidelines have similarities to each other but also significant differences. This leaves clinicians still confused about this condition and how to appropriately manage the 'real' patient. We review the current guidelines and appropriate literature and put forward a clinically usable management strategy.