title: [Uroflowmetry in the assessment of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia].
abstract: Uroflowmetry is the most physiologic and non invasive assessing method of lower urinary tract obstruction: it proves to bring objective evidence of the prostatic blockage degree. We performed 1094 urinary flow tests in 264 patients with BPH, suffering from voiding problems; 188 males had undergone surgical treatment and 86 medical therapy. These patients were examined again about 3 months after prostatectomy and about 3, 6, 9 months during pharmacologic treatment. Symptoms were valued according to international prostatic symptomatologic score (I-PSS). The assessment of residual urine was performed by bladder ultrasound. Among the 264 patients, nocturia was present in 81.8%, weakness of stream in 75% and urgency in 47.7%. The average I-PSS for obstructed patients and postoperative were respectively 26 (21-32) and 5 (0-7). Frequency and weakness of stream were commonly (80% of cases) associated with a reduction in the maximum flow rate (Qmax). Qmax and average flow (Qave) improved after prostatectomy respectively from 7.1 ml/s to 18.9 ml/s and 4.1 ml/s to 8.3 ml/s. 6/264 males with normal Qmax and 132/264 with Qmax < 10 ml/s were shown to have residual urine > 80 ml. Among the uroflowmetry parameters analysed, the best correlation with the degree of prostatic obstruction degree is Qmax. Residual urine is a sign of an abnormality of bladder function rather than the direct result of urethral blockage. Uroflowmetry is a useful clinical tool in the diagnosis and follow-up of males with BPH.
authors.affiliation: Divisione di Urologia, USL 4, Parma.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Larosa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferretti
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Salsi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simonazzi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D012212:Rheology / Q000379:methods*; D014555:Urination Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery