Comparison of an Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome Clinical Cohort With Symptomatic Community Women From the RAND Interstitial Cystitis Epidemiology Study

Purpose: The RAND Interstitial Cystitis Epidemiology survey estimated that 2.7% to 6.5% of United States women have urinary symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome. We describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of the symptomatic community based RAND Interstitial Cystitis Epidemiology cohort, and compare them with those of a clinically based interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome cohort.Materials and Methods: Subjects included 3,397 community women who met the criteria for the RAND Interstitial Cystitis Epidemiology high sensitivity case definition, and 277 women with an interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome diagnosis recruited from specialist practices across the United States (clinical cohort). Questions focused on demographic information, symptom severity, quality of life indicators, concomitant diagnoses and treatment.Results: Average symptom duration for both groups was approximately 14 years. Women in the clinical cohort reported wors...