Defining the Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndromes: A New Beginning--An International Symposium

The NIDDK meeting "Defining the Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndromes: A New Beginning - An International Symposium" was developed to enlist expert opinion related to the multiplicity of factors involved in defining the urologic pelvic pain syndromes. Updates were provided on such topics as: classifying urologic chronic pain syndromes, advanced diagnostic studies for characterizing the pain syndromes, epidemiological data for overlap of chronic pelvic pain syndromes, developing biomarkers for the chronic pain syndromes, and many other topics. The meeting explored the pros and cons of developing a unifying definition for chronic pelvic pain, as well as the benefits of establishing common phenotyping strategies for persons with these disorders. Interactive discussions were encouraged among speakers, participants, and the panel of consultants.

The NIDDK fells this meeting served to inform clinicians, basic scientists, patients, advocacy groups, pharmaceutical representatives, and the public interested in our common goal of developing a better understanding of the urologic chronic pelvic pain syndromes and associated disorders. A major goal of this meeting was to provide initial, expert opinion on strategies to develop a definition of these diseases and their phenotypes, which will be used in future NIDDK-funded research studies including the NIDDK MAPP Research Network.

A meeting summary will soon be available on the NIDDK website (http://www3.niddk.nih.gov/fund/other/conferences-arch.shtml).