Abstract

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.