Citation

Mayson BE, Teichman JM. Curr. Urol. Rep. 2009; 10(6): 441-447.

Affiliation

Division of Urology, St. Paul's Hospital, Burrard Building C307, 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6Z 1Y6, Canada.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

19863855

Abstract

Interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS) is a chronic syndrome characterized by irritative voiding symptoms and pelvic pain or discomfort. IC/PBS represents localized bladder pathophysiologic changes and central nervous system upregulation. Patients exhibit bladder hyperalgesia and allodynia. Childhood sexual abuse occurs in up to 27% of females in the United States. Adults with a prior history of abuse or traumatization demonstrate hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis abnormalities, similar to IC/PBS patients. Childhood sexual abuse and physical traumatization are associated with subsequent lifelong risks of chronic pain syndromes. IC/PBS patients have increased rates of sexual abuse or physical traumatization histories compared with controls. IC/PBS patients with abuse histories tend to have greater pain intensity and lesser irritative voiding symptoms compared with nonabused IC/PBS patients. This article reviews the relationship between sexual abuse, HPA axis abnormalities, IC/PBS pathophysiology, and the role of sexual abuse on subsequent IC/PBS.

Language: en