Benign prostatic hyperplasia: diagnosis and treatment options

BPH is a complex condition effecting millions of adult male patients. The pathophysiology is a complex interrelated sequence of events involving stromal and epithelial growth changes. Within the past 20 years, major pharmacologic advances have been made that allow reversal of some of the hyperplastic changes and, thereby, improve patients voiding patterns. With this increase in medical options, there has also come an onslaught of other interventions, such as laser, prostatic stents, balloon dilators, and microwave hyperthermia--some of these have shown promise in the early clinical trials. As with all of these treatment options, further long term assessment must be scientifically proven to be of significant benefit to the patient. Would the patient be better off with observation or a TURP?