What is Bladder Distension?
Bladder distension is a medical condition in which the bladder is stretched. This is usually due to urinary retention, in which the patient is unable to urinate, but it can be artificially induced by doctors in order to conduct tests for interstitial cystitis. These tests inflate the bladder with water so that the doctor can insert a cytoscope to view the patient’s bladder wall. Bladder distension may be symptomatic of another medical condition and often presents with pain or discomfort and the urge to urinate, without the ability to do so. A patient will often complain of incontinence and leaking small amounts of urine, without relieving the urge to urinate.
