Interstitial cystitis (IC), also known as bladder pain syndrome (BPS) or by several similar names, is a chronic inflammatory condition of the submucosal and muscular layers of the bladder. IC/BPS may be associated with urinary urgency, urinary frequency, waking at night to urinate, and sterile urine cultures. IC/BPS can result in a quality of life comparable to that of a person with rheumatoid arthritis, chronic cancer pain, or on kidney dialysis.