The long-term influence of vasectomy on prostatic volume and morphology in man

During the past two decades several papers have described the changes in prostatic secretory capacity following vasectomy. Based upon results indicating a reduction of secretory function, it was suggested that even prostatic size and the incidence of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) might be altered after the operation. In this study, which included 56 males who had been vasectomized 8 years previously and 56 age-matched control persons, transrectal ultrasonic scanning of the prostate was used for exact measurements of the prostatic volume and for the investigation of intraprostatic echo pattern. The total prostatic volume, the volume of the periurethral gland, and the volume of the peripheral zone were not influenced by the vasectomy; nor was the growth rate of these zones affected. In the vasectomy group, the frequency of adenomatous prostates was 19.6%, whereas 30.3% of prostates in the control group had ultrasonic signs of BPH. However, this is not a statistically significant difference. Subdividing the material according to age did not reveal altered BPH frequency in any age group when vasectomized and controls were compared.