Interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/ PBS) is a bladder syndrome of unknown etiology and it is characterized by symptoms of suprapubic, pelvic and genital pain, urinary frequency and nocturia in the absence of a urinary tract infection (UTI).1 The prevalence of IC/PBS was recently estimated at about 500 cases/100,000 women2 and IC occurs also in men (about 10%) with recent evidence suggesting that The Canadian Journal of Urology™; 15(6); December 2008 chronic nonbacterial prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) men may be a similar to IC/PBS.3
