“…The criteria which exclude the diagnosis of IC are bladder capacity >350 ml on awake cystometry, absence of an intense desire to void at 150 ml with a medium filling rate (30-100 ml/min), demonstration of phasic involuntary bladder contractions on cystometry, symptomatology of less than 9 months duration, absence of nocturia, symptoms relieved by antimicrobials, urinary antiseptics, anticholinergics, or antispasmodics, urinary diurnal frequency less than nine times, a diagnosis of bacterial cystitis within 3 months, bladder calculi, active genital herpes, gynecological malignancy, urethral diverticulum, chemical cystitis, tuberculosis, radiation cystitis, bladder tumors, vaginitis, and age <18 years. A diagnosis of IC is made mainly based on clinical symptoms and cystoscopic findings after hydrodistention (HD) when other disorders are excluded [4][5][6][7][8].…”