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Abstract:
Two hundred four male patients (aged twenty to forty-five years) with symptoms of lower urinary tract dysfunction have been investigated by urodynamic studies. Patients with symptoms of bladder overactivity (53 per cent) had a low incidence of bladder outflow obstruction but a high incidence of bladder hypersensitivity and bladder instability. Their symptomatic complaints accurately reflected their cystometric findings and, therefore, a urine flow rate estimation was the only necessary urodynamic investigation in most cases. Urine flow studies are an essential first investigation in all patients with possible bladder outflow obstruction (26 per cent), and full studies were necessary in many patients to discriminate the low flow rates produced both by outflow obstruction and by bladder underactivity which were diagnosed in a high proportion of patients. Similarly, in the neurologically abnormal patients (12 per cent), full urodynamic studies were necessary with the studies described in this article the minimum required.