Glomerulation

Glomerulation refers to bladder hemorrhages which are thought to be associated with some types of interstitial cystitis (IC).

The presence of glomerulations, also known as petechial hemorrhages, in the bladder suggests that the bladder wall has been damaged, irritated, and/or inflamed. Petechial hemorrhages originate from punctuate hemorrhages.[1] The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) Diagnostic Criteria for IC, developed in 1987, required the presence of glomerulations or Hunner's Ulcers for diagnosis of IC and is still used today, to determine eligibility for some clinical trials.[2] However other research has theorized that the hydrodistention procedure used for the diagnosis of IC itself may have created these tiny broken blood vessels.[3] Studies have found glomerulations in asymptomatic populations, suggesting that they are not applicable as a marker for IC.[4] Thus, a diagnosis of IC is now based upon other, less invasive methods, such as the PUF Scale (Pelvic Pain and Urgency/Frequency Patient Symptom Scale). Glomerulation has been observed to be one of the feature for prostate cancer.[5] However, efforts to determine whether this is association or causation have concluded that while glomerulations may be a common finding in individuals with prostate cancer, they are not a significant predictor.[6]

  1. ^ Schmidt, Robert F.; Willis, William D., eds. (2007), "Glomerulations", Encyclopedia of Pain, Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer, p. 828, doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29805-2_1641, ISBN 978-3-540-29805-2, retrieved 2021-07-30
  2. ^ Gillenwater Jay Y.; Wein Alan J. (1988). "Summary of the National Institute of Arthritis, Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases Workshop on Interstitial Cystitis, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, August 28-29, 1987". Journal of Urology. 140 (1): 203–206. doi:10.1016/S0022-5347(17)41529-1. PMID 3379688.
  3. ^ Ueda, Tomohiro; Hanno, Philip M.; Saito, Ryoichi; Meijlink, Jane M.; Yoshimura, Naoki (2021). "Current Understanding and Future Perspectives of Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome". International Neurourology Journal. 25 (2): 99–110. doi:10.5213/inj.2142084.042. ISSN 2093-4777. PMC 8255826. PMID 34218637.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Epstein, Jonathan I. (2004). "Diagnosis and reporting of limited adenocarcinoma of the prostate on needle biopsy". Modern Pathology. 17 (3): 307–315. doi:10.1038/modpathol.3800050. ISSN 0893-3952. PMID 14739905.
  6. ^ Furuya, Ryoji; Masumori, Naoya; Furuya, Seiji; Oda, Toshiro; Takahashi, Satoshi; Takeuchi, Masaya (2007). "Glomerulation Observed During Transurethral Resection of the Prostate for Patients With Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Suggestive of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia is a Common Finding But No Predictor of Clinical Outcome". Urology. 70 (5): 922–926. doi:10.1016/j.urology.2007.06.1153. ISSN 0090-4295. PMID 18068448.