Interstitial cystitis, also known as painful bladder syndrome, is a condition where patients experience chronic pelvic pain, pressure or discomfort and bladder symptoms such as urinary frequency, urgency or difficulty urinating. The key point is that people with IC have these symptoms even though tests show no evidence of urinary tract infection or other bladder diseases. In severe cases, IC can present with ulceration and bleeding of the bladder lining and can lead to scarring and stiffening of the bladder wall. Sometimes IC is associated with other chronic pain conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, endometriosis, vulvodynia or pelvic floor muscle dysfunction.