Intravesical lignocaine in the diagnosis of bladder pain syndrome.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: To differentiate between the pain originating from urinary bladder and that due to other pelvic organs, using intravesical instillations of 2% lignocaine solution.

METHODS

Twenty-two women with pelvic pain received intravesical instillation of 20 ml of 2% lignocaine solution. The intensity of pain was recorded by using visual analogue scale (VAS) just before, at 2, 10 and 20 min after intravesical instillation. Women who experienced a drop in the VAS score by 50% were termed as responders. All these women underwent cystoscopy under anaesthesia.

RESULTS

Fifteen out of 22 (68.18%) women experienced a substantial reduction in the pain. Thirteen out of these 15 women had features suggestive of BPS/IC on cystoscopy. Out of the seven non-responders, two women were found to have endometriosis, four were diagnosed as pelvic inflammatory disease and one had diverticulitis.

CONCLUSIONS

Intravesical lignocaine appears to be useful in excluding patients with pelvic pain originating from organs other than the urinary bladder.