Sensory bladder disorders

Sensory bladder disorders include disorders involving abnormal sensations resulting from many diseases of the urinary bladder. In a proportion of patients no cause can be found and if pain or pelvic pressure is a part of the symptomatology, they are labelled as having painful bladder syndrome (PBS). In a subgroup of these patients abnormal findings can be demonstrated at cystoscopy and/or by histological examination of bladder biopsies. These patients are categorised as having interstitial cystitis (IC). This paper looks into the differential diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of patients with PBS.