title: Noninvasive Diagnosis of Bladder Outlet Obstruction in Patients with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Using Ultrasound Decorrelation Analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We developed a noninvasive method to diagnose bladder outlet obstruction. An ultrasound based decorrelation method was applied in male patients with lower urinary tract symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 60 patients ultrasound data were acquired transperineally while they were voiding while sitting. Each patient also underwent a standard invasive pressure flow study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High frequent sequential ultrasound images were successfully recorded during voiding in 45 patients. The decorrelation (decrease in correlation) between subsequent ultrasound images was higher in patients with bladder outlet obstruction than in unobstructed patients and healthy volunteers. ROC analysis resulted in an AUC of 0.96, 95% specificity and 88% sensitivity. A linear relationship was fitted to the decorrelation values as a function of the degree of obstruction represented by the bladder outlet obstruction index, measured in the separate pressure flow studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is possible to noninvasively diagnose bladder outlet obstruction using the ultrasound decorrelation technique.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Sector Furore, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: a.muhammad@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arif
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Sector Furore, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Groen
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Sint Franciscus Gasthuis and Havenziekenhuis Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Egbert R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Boevé
authors.affiliation: Medical UltraSound Imaging Center, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Chris L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: de Korte
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Sector Furore, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Urology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Idzenga
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Sector Furore, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van Mastrigt
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D059411:Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D012372:ROC Curve; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography; D001748:Urinary Bladder Neck Obstruction / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
keywords: diagnostic imaging; lower urinary tract symptoms; male; ultrasonography; urinary bladder outlet obstruction