Hunner's Ulcers
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Hunner's Ulcers occur in 5 to 10 percent of people who have the disease Interstitial cystitis. They form on the wall of the bladder and, like any ulcer, they can bleed, ooze and vary in size. They were first described by Dr. Guy LeRoy Hunner, 1868–1957, a Baltimore urologist, in a paper delivered to the Boston Medical Society in 1915 [1].
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[edit] Diagnoses
Hunner's Ulcers can only be accurately diagnosed via a hydrodistention. The procedure is performed while the patient is under general anaesthetic and is listed as a day surgery.
[edit] Treatment
The ulcers can be removed through fulguration (burned off with the use of electricity or a laser) or resection (cutting around the ulcer, removing both the ulcer and the surrounding inflamed tissue).
Many patients choose to live with the ulcers and treat the symptoms associated with them through bladder instillations or/and pain medication/therapy.
[edit] Prevention
The drug Elmiron helps to prevent the formation of Hunner's Ulcers by coating the bladder wall, thus making it harder for the acid in urine to irritate the bladder wall lining, which can lead to ulceration.
[edit] Notes
1. J. P. MacDermott, G. L. Charpied, H. Tesluk and A. R. Stone. Histological changes in interstitial cystitis. International Urogynecology Journal, Volume 4, Number 4, 1993, 246-249.
