A diagnosis commonly is made by a thorough physical exam, a urinalysis, and a urine culture. Bladder stones, a common cause of cystitis, sometimes can be felt within the bladder or within the urethra during the physical exam. A urinalysis evaluates for problems such as the presence of blood, bacteria, mineral crystals, cancer cells, protein, and inflammatory cells.
Many times a culture of the urine is needed to determine accurately if bacteria are present and if so, which antibiotics will be effective in treating them. Abdominal x-rays, and sometimes x-rays illuminated by contrast material are helpful to visualize the bladder structure and determine if any stones are present. Another diagnostic tool that can be helpful is an ultrasound of the bladder and its contents. This procedure also will allow measurement of the bladder wall thickness.
