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Benign prostatic hyperplasia. The scope of the problem
1Department of Urology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60611-3008.
Background:
The prevalence and incidence of clinical problems secondary to and associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are of increasing concern as the population ages.
Methods:
Selected published reports using anatomical and clinical criteria to identify BPH and its clinical sequelae were reviewed.
Results:
The following observations seem to reflect the current state of knowledge: (1) BPH develops with increasing frequency as men age; (2) BPH causes significant pathologic changes in the urinary tract of some patients and symptoms in others; and (3) other identifiable or cryptic etiologic factors may be the predominant cause of identical voiding dysfunction in patients with BPH.
Conclusion:
Essential information about factors initiating and promoting development of BPH, the exact mechanisms by which BPH alters voiding mechanisms, and definitive diagnostic criteria to establish the role of BPH in clinical changes are lacking. Progress in these problem areas is essential to guide appropriate clinical management.