Bladder Outlet Obstruction: Male Non-neurogenic

Abstract

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is common in aging males and is the most common cause of bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) in these patients. Over 80 % of men in their eighth decade have been diagnosed with BPH, and many will require one or more treatments for outflow obstruction throughout their lives. Additional causes of BOO include urethral strictures, lower urinary tract malignancy, and obstructing bladder stones. Diagnosing the cause of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in male patients may, at times, prove difficult. In patients for whom a diagnosis of BOO is suspected, urodynamic testing may aid in confirming this diagnosis, as well as determining the degree of obstruction. The American Urological Association recommends that urodynamic testing should be considered optional in the evaluation of patients presenting with LUTS suggestive of BOO.