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Narative Review Volume 14 Issue 2
Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome: a narrative and scoping review of current evidence
Ahemdi Chrive Ahmed, Moncef El Midaoui, Youssef Maachi, Babty Mouftah, Amine Slaoui, Tariq Karmouni, Abdellatif Koutani, Khalid El Khader
Received: June 15, 2026 | Published: August 20, 2026
Citation: Ahmed AC, Midaoui ME, Maachi Y, et al. Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome: a narrative and scoping review of current evidence. Urol Nephrol Open Access J. 2026;14(2):63-67. DOI: 10.15406/unoaj.2026.14.00376
Abstract
Objective: To appraise available evidence on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) and to outline an evidence-based approach to clinical care. Method: This is a narrative and scoping review, structured following the general framework of the PRISMA-ScR guidelines for scoping reviews. PubMed and Google Scholar were searched using key phrases related to interstitial cystitis, bladder pain syndrome, diagnosis, and treatment. Thirty articles, including observational studies, clinical guidelines, systematic reviews, and relevant basic science articles published between 2000 and 2025, were selected after title/abstract screening and full-text review. Articles focusing on acute cystitis or exclusively pediatric populations were excluded. The literature search was iterative and recursive. Relevant data on presentation, pathophysiology, diagnostic approaches, and management of IC/BPS were extracted through content analysis, and a narrative synthesis was performed for each aspect of the disease. Results: IC/BPS is a chronic, debilitating condition affecting predominantly women (5:1 to 10:1 female-to-male ratio) with a significant impact on quality of life. Multiple pathophysiological mechanisms contribute, including urothelial barrier dysfunction, neurogenic inflammation, central sensitization, and microbiome alterations. Two distinct phenotypes exist: Hunner lesion IC (5-10% of cases) and non-Hunner lesion IC. Diagnosis remains clinical, based on symptom assessment and exclusion of other pathologies. Management requires a multimodal approach including behavioral modifications, oral medications, intravesical therapies, neuromodulation, and, in refractory cases, surgical interventions. Most patients experience symptomatic improvement with appropriate treatment, though complete remission remains rare. Conclusion: IC/BPS is indeed a complex chronic pain syndrome. Individualized and multimodal therapeutic management requires early recognition, phenotypic stratification, and multidisciplinary care to optimize outcomes and improve the quality of life of affected patients.
Keywords: Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS), hunner lesion, neurogenic inflammation, urinary microbiome, intravesical therapy, neuromodulation, multimodal management
©2026 Ahmed, et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially.