Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a disorder of the urinary bladder characterized by urgency, frequency, nocturia, and chronic pelvic pain. The main pathologic findings include dysfunction of the bladder glycosaminoglycan protective layer1 and a high number of activated bladder mast cells2; these processes could lead to neurogenic inflammation and immune damage of the bladder wall, with subsequent chronic nerve sensitization3 (Fig. 1). As IC has become better known and the diagnostic criteria presently do not necessarily include cystoscopy, it has been estimated that 1 million women in the United States have IC.4 Many patients with IC also have allergies, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome,5 all of which are exacerbated by physical or emotional stress.6,7 In fact, a recent publication has linked IC and panic disorder genetically, and it is of interest that benzodiazepines, which are used in the treatment of panic disorder, can bind to mast cells, leading to inhibition of serotonin release.8
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