Evaluation of health-related quality of life in patients with painful bladder syndrome/interstitial cystitis and the impact of four treatments on it.

OBJECTIVE

Painful bladder syndrome/interstitial cystitis (PBS/IC) is an inflammatory bladder disease of unknown origin. Symptoms of PBS/IC compromise patients' quality of life (QoL). This study evaluated a health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaire in PBS/IC.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

151 patients with PBS/IC filled in the HRQoL questionnaire before and after the treatment. Of these, 87 patients participated in a 3-month randomized study testing intravesical dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) and 64 patients took part in a 6-month randomized study evaluating oral cyclosporine A (CyA) and pentosan polysulfate sodium (PPS). The changes in HRQoL questionnaire were evaluated with respect to the changes in global response assessment (GRA).

RESULTS

The results of the HRQoL questionnaire reflected well the post-treatment GRA. Patients responding to their treatment had improved QoL. CyA treatment had more impact on emotional well-being, social functioning, activity limitation days, pain and physical capacity than PPS treatment (p<0.05). More patients responded to DMSO than BCG treatment according to GRA (p<0.01), but the results in HRQoL questionnaire were equal after DMSO and BCG treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

The HRQoL questionnaire can be used in evaluating QoL in PBS/IC patients. Treatment of PBS/IC had obvious effects on QoL.