title: New simple method of transabdominal ultrasound to assess the degree of benign prostatic obstruction: size and horizontal shape of the prostate.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transabdominal ultrasound has been the standard clinical tool for evaluating prostatic size; however, the severity of benign prostatic obstruction does not always correspond to the size of the prostate. The purpose of this study was to consider the utility of two parameters, (i) the prostatic volume (Pvol) and (ii) the ratio of the height : width of the maximum horizontal section of prostate (H : W) obtained by transabdominal ultrasound, in screening the degree of benign prostatic obstruction. The results were compared with the linear passive urethral resistance relation (lin-PURR) obtained by pressure-flow studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-one men with lower urinary tract symptoms were prospectively evaluated in regard to urodynamic parameters, transabdominal ultrasound volume of the prostate, and calculation of lin-PURR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant positive correlation was found between Pvol and the degree of benign prostatic obstruction. When the ultrasonographic parameters of greater than 30 mL Pvol and 0.8 H : W were adopted as provisional cut-off points for detecting patients with obstruction, the selected 10 cases had lin-PURR > 3. In addition, there were six cases classified with lin-PURR >or= 3 despite the fact that their Pvol was less than 30 mL. Their H : W values were > 0.8.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Transabdominal ultrasound is useful as a screening test for evaluating the prostate. In addition to the size of the prostate, the parameter of the horizontal shape (H : W ratio) makes an assessment of the degree of benign prostatic obstruction more reliable.
authors: Department of Urology, Yonago National Hospital, Tottori, Japan. takeshiw@infosakyu.ne.jp
authors: Takeshi
authors: T
authors: Watanabe
authors: Ikuo
authors: I
authors: Miyagawa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011467:Prostate / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014521:Urethra / Q000503:physiopathology; D014563:Urodynamics