Nomenclature

The term "interstitial cystitis" has been hotly debated in recent years. In 2003/2004, researchers suggested that milder cases of IC should be known as painful bladder syndrome (PBS). Thus, many journal articles referred to the condition as IC/PBS. The term "IC" was to be used solely for patients who met the very strict NIDDK research criteria. In 2006, yet another name change was proposed. The European Society For The Study of IC (ESSIC) (based in the Netherlands) suggested that the IC and IC/PBS be replaced with Bladder Pain Syndrome (BPS). This change in nomenclature (as well as their proposed changes in the diagnostic methodology), was met with great opposition during the 2006 NIDDK Conference from patient groups and clinicians from around the world.

In 2007, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) began using the umbrella term Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndromes (UCPPS) to refer to pain syndromes associated with the bladder (i.e. interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome, IC/PBS) and the prostate gland (i.e. chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome, CP/CPPS).

In 2008, terms currently in use in addition to interstitial cystitis include painful bladder syndrome, bladder pain syndrome and hypersensitive bladder syndrome, alone and in a variety of combinations. These different terms are being used in different parts of the world.