Is bladder outlet obstruction normal in elderly men without lower urinary tract symptoms?

• Published in: Neurourology and urodynamics 1999, Vol.18 (6), p.545-551
• Main Authors: Bøtker-Rasmussen, Inge, Bagi, Per, Jørgensen, Jørgen Balslev
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; bladder outlet obstruction; elderly men; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; normal findings; Urinary Bladder Neck Obstruction - physiopathology; Urodynamics
• ISSN: 0733-2467; 1520-6777
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1520-6777(1999)18:6<545::AID-NAU2>3.0.CO;2-1

The aim of the present study was to correlate basic voiding parameters, including uroflowmetry, symptom score, and residual urine volume with the results of pressure‐flow studies applying the Abrams/Griffith nomogram, in a series of urologically asymptomatic elderly men. Twenty‐nine consecutive male volunteers (median age, 66 years) without past or present urological complaints participated. Fifteen (52%) of the 29 subjectively normal men proved to have bladder outlet obstruction (BOO). Qmax 50 mL was zero. It is concluded that a surprisingly high prevalence of BOO in asymptomatic elderly men was demonstrated and that the correlation between pressure flow investigations and alternative diagnostic tests, i.e., flow rate, symptom score, and residual volume was weak in this group of men. It is suggested that a possible explanation for the high frequency of BOO observed in the evaluated asymptomatic men could be that the values defining obstruction have been set too low. Neurourol. Urodynam. 18:545–552, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.