Nocturia: a new perspective on an old symptom

The purpose of this review is to make urologists aware of the fact that nocturia among elderly men has a multifactorial aetiology and does not always depends on bladder outlet obstruction. After diagnosis of the underlying cause, specific treatments can be offered to the patient, one of which is transurethral resection of the prostate. Nocturia, defined as waking up at night to void, is a very common and bothersome symptom, affecting >50% of both men and women aged >60 years. Nocturnal polyuria is one reason for nocturia. Recent studies have shown that this condition can now be treated successfully with desmopressin acetate, a synthetic analogue of arginine vasopressin, which for many years has been used in the treatment of enuresis in children.