Interstitial cystitis as the initial presentation of primary Sjogren's syndrome: A case report

Interstitial Cystitis, mostly affecting middle-aged women, has been rarely associated with Sjögren's syndrome. We report a 51-year-old woman who presented with painful micturition, pollakiuria, lower abdominal pain, and urinary urgency. In addition, the patient exhibited xerostomia, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, and leukopenia. The cystoscopy and pathological examinations confirmed the diagnosis of interstitial cystitis. Subsequent testing revealed a positive antinuclear antibody, leading to referral to the department of Rheumatology and Immunology for a labial gland biopsy, which resulted in a diagnosis of primary Sjogren's Syndrome. This case highlights the association between Sjögren's syndrome and interstitial cystitis, emphasizing the need for clinicians to maintain a suspicion for systemic autoimmune disorder when encountering patients with recurrent urinary tract symptoms without any other identifiable underlying cause.