ATLANTA—Symptoms of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) and chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) are common among men in the United States, researchers reported at the American Urological Association 2012 annual meeting.
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As part of the ongoing RAND Interstitial Cystitis Epidemiology (RICE) study, Anne M. Suskind, MD, of the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington, and colleagues contacted 6,072 households by phone to determine the prevalence of IC/BPS and CP/CPPS symptoms in men. Two case definitions were applied for IC/BPS (high sensitivity and high specificity) while a single case definition was applied for CP/CPPS (both high sensitivity and specificity).
The study’s co-principle investigators were Sandra H. Berry, MA, and J. Quentin Clemens, MD. Dr. Suskind presented study findings
Based on 97 subjects, 23% met the high specificity definition of IC/BPS, 16% met the case definition of CP/CPPS, and 8% met both. Weighted prevalence estimates for IC/BPS were 4.2% for the high sensitivity definition and 1.9% for the high specificity definition. Weight prevalence estimate for CP/CPPS was 1.8%.
Based on 2006 U.S. census data, investigators concluded that their estimates equate to about two million men in the United States with symptoms of IC/BPS and CP/CPPS.
In addition, the prevalence of IC/BPS symptoms in men approaches that of in women, suggesting that this condition may be underdiagnosed and undertreated in the male population, the investigators concluded.
