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Study Type – Symptom prevalence (prospective cohort) Level of Evidence 1b OBJECTIVE To characterize and evaluate a Danish patient population with bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC), using a working definition for BPS/IC incorporating six variables, and a set of criteria defined by the European Society for the Study of Interstitial Cystitis (ESSIC); to describe the clinical course and treatment intensity in relation to these variables. PATIENTS AND METHODS Clinical data were obtained retrospectively from medical records for 349 consecutive patients with IC referred to the Department of Urology, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Denmark between 1966 and 2008. The median (range) age at diagnosis was 53 (16–88) years; 64% were followed for at least 2 years. The outcome was expressed in terms of treatment intensity and was correlated with clinical data (pain, nocturnal frequency, bladder capacity, mucosal glomerulations, detrusor mastocytosis, detrusor intrafascicular fibrosis, IFF). RESULTS All patients had pain and 75% had nocturia at least twice. The bladder capacity estimated under general anaesthesia was <500 mL in 42%; 53% presented with detrusor mastocytosis (≥28 mast cells/mm2) and 50% with IFF. The detrusor mast cell count ( P < 0.001), IFF ( P = 0.004) and nocturnal frequency ( P = 0.043) had statistically significant prognostic value for treatment intensity, whereas bladder capacity and glomerulations were not significant. CONCLUSION Nocturia, detrusor mastocytosis and IFF are associated with multiple treatments and presumed failure of standard urological therapy in patients with BPS/IC, while bladder capacity and glomerulations are not. Valid conclusions cannot be drawn because of numerous limitations to the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]