| May 2006 · Vol. 18, No. 5 LETTERS
For interstitial cystitis, which test is the real “gold standard”?
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Fast Track
“Frankly, the potassium sensitivity test can make for a very angry and upset patient”
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In her February article on interstitial cystitis (“The generalist’s guide to interstitial cystitis”), Dr. Christine LaSala called cystoscopy with hydrodistention the “gold standard” for diagnosis, but also observed that “the need for this procedure is under debate.” She does mention the potassium sensitivity test, but her remarks about it are slightly negative, despite the fact that it had only a 4% false-positive rate among controls in the study she cited.1
Many sources now consider cystoscopy with hydrodistention the previous gold standard and point out that it is of limited benefit or uncommonly used. How do you explain this discrepancy?
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