ESSIC uses the name bladder pain syndrome (BPS) instead of interstitial cystitis (IC) and/or painful bladder syndrome (PBS): click here for more details.
Vulvodynia. Definition, diagnosis and treatment. Petersen CD, Lundvall L, Kristensen E, et al. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2008;87:893-901
• this article describes the terminology and definition of the condition, theories on patho-physiological mechanisms underlying the disorder, methods of diagnosis and evidence and recommendations on clinical management
Treatment of vulvodynia with tricyclic antidepressants: efficacy and associated factors. Reed BD, Caron AM, Gorenflo DW, Haefner HK. J Low Genit Tract Dis 2006;10:245-51 • women with vulvodynia who were prescribed a tricyclic antidepressant in general (or amitriptyline, specifically) were more likely to have pain improvement compared with those women not taking these medications at follow-up
• randomized, controlled studies of tricyclic antidepressants versus other treatments are needed to clarify the overall effectiveness of these drugs
