interstitial cystitis is the term given to chronic urinary frequency, urgency, and pelvic pain of unknown etiology but with evidence of cystitis on cystoscopy
90% are female, median age 40yrs but may occur in pre-pubertal children
cystoscopy may show either:
ulcerative cystitis
<10% of cases
bladder overdistention in this type of interstitial cystitis results in fissures and cracks that bleed in the bladder epithelium
non-ulcerative cystitis
after overdistention, these patients demonstrate glomerulations that are discreet, tiny, raspberry-like lesions appearing on the dome and lateral walls of the bladder and tiny mucosal tears and submucosal hemorrhages