Improvements for Diagnosis and Evaluation of Bladder Pain

Improvements for Diagnosis and Evaluation of Bladder Pain

           

Bladder pain is a symptom that effect approximately 15-20% of women in the United States. However there is no extensive knowledge about why this pain occurs, despite the high percent that are affected. Understanding the pain is a hard task to accomplish, as studying those with pain by use of the current methods increases the pain experienced by the individual. Using catheterization, the current approach, does not always present an accurate image and causes more discomfort for individuals suffering from bladder pain.

Recently the seminar heard from Dr. Frank F. Tu on the bladder. Dr. Tu talked about painful menstrual cycles in patients and how that pain can be improved. In the article he provided, the study looked at the reliability of using a sonogram to approximate the bladder sensitive threshold in females. A sonogram is generated by reflections of high-frequency sound wave and is able to produce an image of an organ in the body. It allows examination of the bladder without invasive techniques and provides imaging for the doctor to evaluate.

                                     

Through his research, Dr. Tu concluded that using a sonogram is reliable and produces less irritation than a catheterization. By using a sonogram, patients experience less additional pain when being examined. It will be interesting to see the applications of the use of this method in regards to future studies of visceral pain.

Through the use of a sonogram, Dr. Tu found that pain during menstruation correlated with increased bladder irritations at low thresholds and increased bladder urgencies. Patients who are experience menstrual pains are also more at risk for developing chronic bladder pain syndrome.

Dr. Tu’s study compared to the article titled, “Bladder pain syndrome: validation of simple tests for diagnosis in women with chronic pelvic pain: BRaVADO study protocol.” This study, conducted in late 2013, looked at the usefulness of simple tests for bladder pain syndrome.  Bladder pain syndrome, also known as interstitial cystitis, is described as intense discomfort or pressure experienced in the bladder.

Tests were performed on subjects reporting bladder filling pain and bladder wall tenderness. This study wanted to find that rates of bladder filling pain and sign of bladder wall tenderness in women. It then went to compare between the bladder filling pain, wall tenderness, and a questionnaire in diagnosing bladder pain syndrome in chronic pelvic pain. Then the researcher consulted a consensus panel about the symptoms of the patients. Finally, the relationship between the accuracy of symptoms and signs with diagnosis of bladder pain syndrome was established.

The results of the tests were implemented to see whether or not combinations of signs and symptoms were able to accurately confirm bladder pain syndrome in participants. Researcher found that by evaluating patients on their symptoms and signs were an adequate method of determining bladder pain syndrome. By using this type of diagnosis method, bladder pain syndrome can be identified and treated without delays of performing invasive examinations, which often are not discriminatory.

Both Dr. Tu and the experiments of the study involving bladder pain syndrome, attested to lack of invasiveness in patients experiencing bladder pain. Dr. Tu’s research provides a non-invasive imaging technique producing bladder images through a sonogram. By use of the sonogram, a reliable image can be produce without causing more pain for the patient. The latter study suggests mere evaluation of symptoms and beginning treatment without any invasive or imaging required. It is clear from both these studies that invasive examination with bladder pain syndrome patients does not always produce the best information about the patient’s health and causes the patient more discomfort and pain.

Citations:

Tirlapur, S., Priest, L., Wojdyla, D., & Khan, K. (2013). Bladder pain syndrome: Validation of simple tests for diagnosis in women with chronic pelvic pain: BRaVADO study protocol. Reproductive Health, 1-8. Retrieved December 12, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4176137/

Tu F.F., Epstein A.E., Pozolo K.E., Sexton D.L., Melnyk Al, Hellman K.M. (2013). A Non-Invasive Bladder Sensory Test Supports a Role for Dysmenorrhea Increasing Bladder Noxious Mechanosensitivity. The Clinical journal of pain, 1-16. Retrieved December 12, 2014 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3644544/