Transition zone ratio and prostate-specific antigen density: the index of response of benign prostatic hypertrophy to an alpha blocker.
BACKGROUND
The aim of the present study was to determine whether the indices of transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) are related to the clinical response to tamsulosin, a long-acting selective alpha 1-blocker.


METHODS
Sixty patients with symptomatic benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) were treated with tamsulosin hydrochloride (0.2 mg/day) for 2 months. The findings on TRUS and uroflowmetry and the AUA symptom score before treatment were compared with those obtained at the end of the 2 month treatment period. For the indices of TRUS, transition zone (TZ) volume, transition zone ratio (TZ ratio = TZ volume/total prostate volume), total prostate volume, and prostate specific antigen density (PSAD) were calculated.


RESULTS
There was a significant correlation between the pretreatment TZ ratio and the residual urine volume (r = 0.421, P = 0.0005). Patients with a lower TZ ratio and/or PSAD responded well to the treatment. The correlation between the PSAD value and the percent change in peak urinary flow rate was statistically significant (r = -0.432, P = 0.0009).


CONCLUSIONS
TRUS provides simple parameters of PSAD that can be used to predict the response of patients to tamsulosin hydrochloride.
Kurita
Y
Y
Department of Urology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Japan.
Ushiyama
T
T
Suzuki
K
K
Fujita
K
K
Kawabe
K
K
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood* / Q000187:drug effects; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077409:Tamsulosin; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014563:Urodynamics
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D013449:Sulfonamides; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen; D000077409:Tamsulosin