title: The prostatic urethral angle can predict the response to alpha adrenoceptor antagonist monotherapy for treating nocturia in men with lower urinary tract symptom: A multicenter study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We evaluated ultrasonography variables associated with the improvement of nocturia after administration of alpha adrenoceptor antagonist (alpha blocker) monotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  From February to October 2014, 679 men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) underwent ultrasonography including prostate volume, transitional zone volume, prostatic urethral length, the ratio between prostatic urethral length and prostate volume (RPUL), intravesical prostatic protrusion (IPP), and prostatic urethral angle (PUA). Among them, 108 men who had pre-treatment nocturia without nocturnal polyuria (nocturnal polyuria index < 33%) and were treated with alpha blocker monotherapy over 3 months were enrolled. Patients were divided into the improved (< 2 times of nocturia) and non-improved group (more than 2 times) after administration of alpha blockers. Along with ultrasonography, international prostate symptom score (IPSS) and uroflowmetry was assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After alpha blocker treatment, 25.0% of patients (27/108) showed improvement of nocturia. These patients were significantly younger (59.6 vs 68.0 years, P = < 0.001) with lower PUA (31.8 vs. 39.4°, P = 0.009) compared with the non-improved group. In ROC analysis, the area under the curve using the PUA was 0.653 (95% CI = 0.532-0.774, P = 0.018). Using 33.5° as a cut-off level, the sensitivity and specificity for predicting the improvement of nocturia after medication reached 67.9% and 55.6%, respectively. Patients with lower PUA (PUA < 33.5°) had more improvement of nocturia (36.6 vs. 17.9%, P = 0.030), lower IPSS score (14.2 vs. 18.3, P = 0.005), and better quality of life index (3.1 vs 3.8, P = 0.021).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the patients with lower PUA (particularly lower than 33.5°), nocturia was improved by administration of alpha blocker monotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Byung Hoon
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Gyeongju, South Korea.
authors.forename: Ki Ho
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Young Hwii
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Phil Hyun
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Tae-Hwan
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Bum Soo
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Adrenergic alpha-antagonists; Benign prostatic hyperplasia; Nocturia; Prostate