CUAJ • September-October 2013 • Volume 7(9-10Suppl4) © 2013 Canadian Urological Association

Bladder pain can have a number of different etiologies. This brief summary provides an overview of bladder pain syndrome, includ-ing current evidence-based recommendations for diagnosis and management. Bladder pain syndrome (BPS) can be described as pain, pres-sure or discomfort on bladder filling, accompanied by at least one other urinary symptom (e.g., persistent urge to void, urinary frequency).1 This summary reviews the evidence-based diagnosis and work-up of BPS, and provides an overview of the most recent treatment recommendations, as published by the American Urological Association (AUA) in 2011.2 Diagnosis and workup There are a number of conditions that can cause pain in the lower urinary tract. The diagnosis of BPS is made on the basis of exclusion of these confusable diseases, in combination with the confirmation of signs and symptoms of BPS