Ethanol injection therapy of the prostate for benign prostatic hyperplasia: preliminary report on application of a new technique.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluate the efficacy of a new technique of minimally invasive treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia involving direct injection of dehydrated ethanol.


METHODS
Dehydrated ethanol was injected transurethrally with lumbar or sacral and urethral anesthesia in 10 patients with prostatic hyperplasia. Endoscopic injection was performed at 4 to 8 sites in the prostate and 3.5 to 12.0 ml. ethanol were used.


RESULTS
There were no intraoperative complications but postoperative urinary retention occurred transiently in all patients which required catheterization for a mean of 8.8 days. Mean symptom score plus or minus standard deviation was 12.2+/-5.8 at 3 months postoperatively, which was significantly improved from 23.1+/-7.0 preoperatively (p<0.01). Mean quality of life score also improved significantly from 5.1+/-0.6 preoperatively to 3.2+/-1.5 at 3 months postoperatively (p<0.01), mean peak urinary flow rate increased from 8.0+/-2.2 (9 patients) to 13.1+/-3.6 ml. per second (p<0.05) and mean residual urine volume decreased from 129.1+/-55.3 (9 patients) to 49.3+/-34.7 ml. (p<0.05). There was no significant change in prostate volume. Acute epididymitis and chronic prostatitis occurred in 1 patient each.


CONCLUSIONS
This technique can be performed as an outpatient procedure and appears to be safe and cost-effective. Retrograde ejaculation can be avoided.
Department of Urology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Kashiwa Hospital, Japan.
N
N
Goya
N
N
Ishikawa
F
F
Ito
O
O
Ryoji
T
T
Tokumoto
H
H
Toma
Y
Y
Yamaguchi
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D014546:Urinary Catheterization
D000431:Ethanol