Vulvar vestibulitis and interstitial cystitis: a disorder of urogenital sinus-derived epithelium?

Abstract

Background: Vulvar vestibulitis and interstitial cystitis are enigmatic and controversial conditions. They are increasingly recognized as important causes of genitourinary pain in young women. This report proposes an etiologic association between the two conditions.

Cases: We report three patients with both vulvar vestibulitis and interstitial cystitis. Although an association between these conditions has previously been proposed, these are the first case reports of the coexistence of these conditions in the same patient.

Conclusion: Because both the vestibule of the vulva and the bladder are derived from the urogenital sinus, we propose that the coexistence of vulvar vestibulitis and interstitial cystitis in some patients represents a generalized disorder of urogenital sinus-derived epithelium.