12.4: Diagnosis
- Page ID
- 15643
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Usually confirmed on cystoscopy (under general or regional anaesthesia): Petechial bleeding is seen from the bladder wall (particularly after second filling of the bladder with irrigation fluid). There is usually a small bladder capacity and rarely an area of ulceration of the bladder wall (Hunner’s ulcer).
Differential Diagnosis
IC is a diagnosis of exclusion.
- Cystitis – urine dipstick and culture
- TB – urine for AFBs and TB culture
- Bladder carcinoma (particularly CIS) – urine cytology
- Bladder stone – U/S and cystoscopy
- Pelvic infection
- Endometriosis Intravesical Potassium Test If instillation of a solution with high potassium concentration reproduces the patient’s pain this is diagnositic of IC.