IC/BPS Glossary
Terminology varies across clinicians and countries. These definitions provide orientation; ask your care team how a term is being used in your specific record.
Bladder and symptom terms
- IC/BPS: Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome, a chronic bladder-related pain and urinary symptom condition diagnosed clinically after considering other causes.
- Urgency: A compelling need to urinate; in IC/BPS it may be driven by pain or pressure.
- Frequency: Urinating more often than expected for the person and context.
- Nocturia: Waking from sleep to urinate.
- Flare: A period of increased symptoms.
Evaluation terms
- Urinalysis: Laboratory examination of urine.
- Urine culture: Test intended to identify bacteria or other organisms that may cause infection.
- Cystoscopy: Use of a small scope to view the urethra and bladder.
- Urodynamics: Tests that assess aspects of bladder filling, storage, and emptying.
- Post-void residual: Urine remaining after urination.
Treatment terms
- Bladder instillation: Medication placed into the bladder through a catheter.
- Hydrodistension: Bladder stretching with fluid under anesthesia during cystoscopy in selected circumstances.
- Hunner lesion: A distinct inflammatory bladder lesion seen in a subset of people with IC/BPS.
- Neuromodulation: Treatment that changes nerve signaling using electrical stimulation.
- Pelvic-floor down-training: Strategies intended to reduce excess muscle tension and improve relaxation.
Research terms
- Randomized trial: Participants are assigned by chance to comparison groups.
- Observational study: Researchers observe outcomes without assigning treatment.
- Systematic review: Structured synthesis of studies addressing a focused question.
- Clinical significance: Whether a change is meaningful in real life, not only mathematically detectable.