• Kenneth M Peters, Donna J Carrico, Scott E Kalinowski, Ibrahim A Ibrahim, and Ananias C Diokno.
• Ministrelli Program for Urology Research and Education, Department of Urology, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan 48073, USA.
• Urology. 2007 Jul 1;70(1):16-8.

ObjectivesTo evaluate the prevalence of pelvic floor dysfunction in women with interstitial cystitis (IC).MethodsWomen with IC and pelvic pain were referred to the Beaumont Women's Initiative for Pelvic Pain and Sexual Health program. A comprehensive patient history and pelvic examination were completed by a certified women's health nurse practitioner.ResultsSeventy women with a mean age of 45 years were evaluated. Of these 70 women 87% had levator pain consistent with pelvic floor dysfunction. The mean levator pain score was 4.48 out of 10. Nearly two thirds of these women (64%) had their pain for 5 years or more, whereas one quarter (24%) had their pain for 1 to 3 years. Half of the women reported irritable bowel syndrome, and more than one third (36%) reported urge urinary incontinence.ConclusionsWomen with IC may have pelvic floor dysfunction, as noted in this population in which 87% had levator pain upon examination. If pelvic floor dysfunction is diagnosed in IC patients, then therapy targeting the pelvic floor musculature may be considered as part of a multimodality approach to treating IC.

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