Subset of CPPS patients with many symptoms and syndromes

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J Urol. 2013 Dec 19. pii: S0022-5347(13)06131-4. doi: 10.1016/j.juro.2013.12.031. [Epub ahead of print]
Urologic Symptoms of a subset of urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome (UCPPS) patients with a poly-symptomatic, poly-syndromic pattern of presentation.
Lai HH1, North CS2, Andriole GL3, Cupps L4, Song D3, Ness TJ5, Hong BA4.

PURPOSE: To characterize the urologic symptoms of a subset of urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome (UCPPS) patients who have both a high somatic symptom burden and a wide symptom distribution fitting a "poly-symptomatic, poly-syndromic" (PSPS) pattern of presentation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: 81 UCPPS patients enrolled in the NIDDK MAPP Research Network Study at the Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Alabama at Birmingham sites completed a symptom questionnaire to assess their somatic symptom burden and its distribution, the Genitourinary Pain Index (GUPI) to assess their UCPPS symptoms and impact on quality of life, and self-reported treatment-seeking behaviors for their UCPPS symptoms. The PSPS symptom pattern was defined as self-report of numerous painful and non-painful somatic symptoms across many organ systems and symptom categories on the PSPS questionnaire.

RESULTS: UCPPS patients with the PSPS pattern reported more severe genitourinary pain on a Likert scale, more frequent pain in the past week, and more widespread distribution of the pain in the genital and pelvic areas compared to UCPPS patients without PSPS. PSPS patients also had significantly higher scores on the pain subscale, quality of life subscale (worse), and the total scores on the GUPI questionnaire than patients without PSPS. Patients with the PSPS pattern reported significantly more treatment-seeking behaviors than other patients.

CONCLUSION:: The PSPS pattern might be an important phenotypic factor to assess in the evaluation of UCPPS with clinical and research implications. This may be a distinct clinical subgroup among UCPPS patients.

PMID: 24361369
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]