Relationship between bladder wall thickness and duration of symptoms, uroflowmetry parameters, and international prostate symptom score in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms

Objective: We investigated the relationship between bladder wall thickness (BWT) and uroflowmetry parameters, post-voiding residual urine volume (PVR), the International Prostate Symptoms Score (IPSS), and duration of symptoms in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).

Materials and methods: A total of 109 patients, who had LUTS due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) were recruited in the study. All patients were evaluated with IPSS in terms of severity of symptoms, and duration of symptoms was recorded. Serum free and total prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were also determined and urine analysis was performed. Total prostate volume was measured by transrectal ultrasonography. BWT was measured by suprapubic ultrasonography before uroflowmetry and PVR was calculated. Patients were divided in two groups according to BWT cut-off value of 5 mm: BWT ≤5 mm (Group 1, n=48) and BWT >5 mm (Group 2, n=61). Age IPSS, maximum urine flow rate (Qmax), PVR, duration of symptoms, and prostate volume of two groups were compared.

Results: The mean age and BWT of the patients were 62.31±7.96 (range 39-77) years and 5.19±1.39 (range 2.20-10.50) mm, respectively. There was no significant difference in terms of patients age, IPSS, Qmax, PVR and total prostate volume between groups. Duration of symptoms was significantly longer in Group 2 than in Group 1 (33.96 vs. 23.29 months, p=0.01). A positive, but not significant, correlation was found between BWT and age, IPSS, duration of symptoms, prostate volume. A negative, but not significant, correlation was found between BWT and Qmax, PVR.

Conclusion: There was no significant relationship between BWT and objective and subjective parameters of bladder outlet obstruction, which are Qmax, PVR, prostate volume and IPSS, for diagnosis of BPH-related bladder outlet obstruction. BWT was only found to be a parameter showing the duration of obstruction.