Objectives: To estimate the differences in symptoms, prostate volume, and urodynamic variables of symptom-free elderly volunteers, volunteers with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), and urologic patients with LUTS suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Methods: The study included 14 male volunteers without LUTS, 17 male volunteers with LUTS, and 565 urologic patients with LUTS who met the criteria of the International Consensus Committee on Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. They were older than 50 years, they voided more than 150 mL during free uroflowmetry, their residual volume and prostate volume were estimated, and their American Urological Association symptom scores were collected. All men were also evaluated by urodynamic studies.
Results: The prostate volume, residual volume, urethral resistance factor, and symptom scores were significantly lower and the maximal free flow rate and effective capacity significantly higher in the symptom-free volunteers than in the volunteers and patients with LUTS. Except for prostate volume, the variables in volunteers with LUTS closely approximated those of the patients with LUTS. The volunteers with LUTS had a smaller prostate volume than did the patients with LUTS. Nevertheless, the maximal free flow rate, symptoms, degree of obstruction, and prevalence of residual volume did not differ between the two groups. Men with an unstable bladder were present in all groups.
Conclusions: Symptom-free volunteers had smaller prostate volumes, less residual volume, lower symptom scores, a lower urethral resistance factor, a higher maximal free flow rate, and a higher effective capacity than those with LUTS. Except for a smaller prostate volume, the findings in the volunteers with LUTS closely approximated those of the urologic patients with LUTS.