Diagnosing bladder conditions

Pain or hypersensitivity in the bladder and pelvic area, and the frequent and often urgent need to urinate can be an indication of a variety of bladder conditions, such as:^1,2

• Cystitis – which is usually caused by a bacterial infection, but can also be drug induced (particularly by chemotherapy or illicit drugs) or occur when the bladder is irritated or inflamed for other reasons^1,4
• Overactive bladder – urgency, with or without urinary urge incontinence, usually with frequency and nocturia^5,6
• Urinary incontinence – loss of bladder control leading to involuntary loss of urine^7,8
• Urinary retention – the accumulation of urine in the bladder that results from incomplete or inadequate bladder emptying^9,10
• Urinary stones – when stones (calculi) form in the kidney and travel down to the bladder^11,12
• Haematuria – when there’s microscopic or visible blood in the urine, which may be caused by a less serious condition such as haemorrhoids or an infection or a more serious condition^13,14
• Bladder cancer – when malignant cells form in the tissue of the bladder and can spread into the muscle or adjacent organs¹⁵

Cystitis (inflammation of the bladder) is one of the most prevalent types of bladder conditions. It exists in many forms, and can have a range of possible causes or triggers. A complex form of cystitis, called bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC) is idiopathic in nature, making it particularly difficult to diagnose and treat. Others, such as recurrent bacterial cystitis (RBC) may be more straightforward to diagnose but particularly challenging to treat effectively.

This website will provide you with more information on different causes and types of cystitis. However, if you have a patient with recurrent symptoms you might want to consult with or refer them to a specialist.

References

• 1.Meijlink JM. Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome. Int Painful Bl Found. 2014.
• 2.Medline Plus. Bladder Diseases. https://medlineplus.gov/bladderdiseases.html. Published 2016. Accessed September 1, 2017.
• 4.NHS Choices. Cystitis - Causes. www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Cystitis/Pages/Causes.aspx. Published 2015. Accessed September 1, 2017.
• 5.Ellsworth PI, Shiel Jr WC. Overactive Bladder. MedicineNet. www.medicinenet.com/overactive_bladder/article.htm. Published 2016. Accessed September 1, 2017.
• 6.Abrams P, Kelleher C, Kerr LA, Rogers RG. Overactive Bladder Significantly Affects Quality of Life. Am J Manag Care. 2000;6(11 (Sup)):580-590.
• 7.Medline Plus. Urinary incontinence. medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003142.htm. Published 2016. Accessed September 13, 2017.
• 8.Hunskaar S, Arnold E, Burgio K, Diokno A, Herzog A, Mallett VT. Epidemiology and Natural History of Urinary Incontinence. Internatonal Urogynecology J. 2000;11:301-319.
• 9.National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. Urinary Retention. NIH Publ No 14-6089. 2014.
• 10.Harvard Health Publications. Anti-inflammatory drugs, the prostate, and the bladder. www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/Anti-inflammatory_drugs_the_prostate_and_the_bladder. Published 2007. Accessed September 1, 2017.
• 11.PubMed Health. Kidney stones: Overview. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(98)01295-1.
• 12.Urology Care Foundation. What Are Kidney Stones? www.urologyhealth.org/urologic-conditions/kidney-stones. Published 2017. Accessed September 1, 2017.
• 13.Rockall A, Newman-Sanders A, Al-Kutoubi M, Vale J. Haematuria. Postgrad Med J. 1997;73:129-136.
• 14.National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. Hematuria: Blood in the urine. NIH Publ No 12-4559. 2012.
• 15.PubMed Health. Bladder cancer treatment (PDQ^®). http://www.cancer.gov/types/bladder/patient/bladder-treatment-pdq. Published 2017. Accessed September 1, 2017.