Editorial Comment

Abstract

This manuscript introduces a new symptom index to assess men and women with genitourinary pain. There is marked similarity of symptoms in men and women with chronic pain thought to be due to either bladder or prostate pathology. Consequently, the questionnaires used to quantify the symptoms (ie, NIH-CPSI and IC-PBS) showed significant overlap. The authors used the NIH-CPSI and added 2 additional pain subscale items from the IC-PBS symptom questionnaire to format a male genitourinary pain index (M-GUPI). For females, the male-specific pain items were changed to female-specific items to generate the female genitourinary pain index (F-GUPI). These indexes perform well in quantifying symptoms in men and women with pelvic pain syndromes and, furthermore, showed good response among those patients who responded to pelvic floor physical therapy. These indexes, therefore, should prove useful for determining the severity and change in symptoms in both men and women with pelvic pain. Validation of a Modified National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index to Assess Genitourinary Pain in Both Men and WomenUrologyVol. 74Issue 5PreviewTo date, separate condition-specific instruments have been used to assess severity of symptoms, in men and women with urological pain conditions. We developed a single instrument that can be used to assess treatment response in clinical trials and cohort studies that involve both genders. Full-Text PDF ReplyUrologyVol. 74Issue 5PreviewWe agree that therapy for men and women with complaints of urological pain should be individualized. The cornerstone of individualized therapy is the identification of factors that can differentiate patients into clinically relevant subgroups (phenotypes), which affect the natural history and response to therapy. Research efforts are underway to do this.1,2 We hope that the GUPI may aid in this process by providing a condition-specific assessment tool that can be used in all patients with urological pain, regardless of gender. Full-Text PDF