title: How do patients with familial benign prostatic hyperplasia differ clinically from those with sporadic benign prostatic hyperplasia?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to compare age, prostatic volume, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), maximal flow rate, serum total prostate-specific antigen (PSA), serum free PSA, free/total PSA ratio and PSA density values of familial and sporadic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients suffering moderate or severe lower urinary tract symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between September 1999 and August 2004, 511 patients with moderate or severe lower urinary tract symptoms (IPSS > or =8) due to BPH were included in the study. Patients with at least 2 first-degree relatives who had undergone surgery or received medication for BPH were classified as having the familial form of the disease, while the remaining patients were taken as sporadic cases. Mean age, prostatic volume, symptom score, maximal flow rate, PSA, free PSA, free/total PSA ratio and PSA density values of the familial and sporadic groups were compared using student's t test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-eight patients had a positive family history and formed the familial group, while the remaining 473 made up the sporadic group. No significant difference was observed in the parameters studied, except that mean prostate volume of the familial group was found to be greater and the mean age to be lower than those of sporadic patients in accordance with the literature.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with familial BPH need treatment significantly earlier and have larger prostates than those with sporadic BPH.
authors: Urology Clinic 2, Ankara Numune Educational and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. volkan_oztekin@yahoo.com
authors: C Volkan
authors: CV
authors: Oztekin
authors: Bülent
authors: B
authors: Oztürk
authors: Metin
authors: M
authors: Taş
authors: Ozgür
authors: O
authors: Uğurlu
authors: Mesut
authors: M
authors: Cetinkaya