The natural history of lower urinary tract dysfunction in men: the influence of detrusor underactivity on the outcome after transurethral resection of the prostate with a minimum 10-year urodynamic follow-up

120 W Greenlight HPS Laser Photoselective Vaporization of the Prostate for Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Men with Detrusor Underactivity

Purpose

Most men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) have bothersome lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). This study aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of high-performance system (HPS) laser photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) for the treatment of BPH in men with detrusor underactivity (DU).

Materials and Methods

From March 2009, 371 patients with BPH were divided into 2 groups according to the findings of preoperative urodynamic study: 239 (64.4%) patients with bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) and 132 (35.6%) patients with bladder outlet obstruction with detrusor underactivity (BOO+DU). 120 W HPS laser PVP was performed to resolve the BOO. The perioperative data and postoperative results at 1 month and 12 months, including the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), maximum urinary flow (Qmax), and postvoid residual urine (PVR) values, were evaluated.

Results

Compared with the preoperative parameters, significant improvements in IPSS, Qmax, and PVR were observed in each group at 1 and 12 months after the operation. In addition, IPSS, Qmax, and PVR were not significantly different between the BOO and BOO+DU groups at 1 and 12 months after the operation.

Conclusions

Surgery to relieve BOO in the patients with BPH seems to be an appropriate treatment modality regardless of the existence of DU.

Detrusor underactivity: a plea for new approaches to a common bladder dysfunction

AIMS

Detrusor underactivity (DU) is defined by the International Continence Society as a contraction of reduced strength and/or duration resulting in prolonged or incomplete emptying of the bladder but has yet received only little attention. The purpose of this report is to summarize the ICI-RS meeting in Bristol in 2010 exploring current knowledge on DU and outline directions for future research.

METHODS

A think tank discussion was held and the summary of discussions was presented to all ICI-RS participants. This report is based on the final discussions.

RESULTS

The understanding of the pathophysiology, epidemiology, assessment, and treatment of DU remains rudimentary. DU is defined by pressure-flow analysis but no consensus exists regarding which of the available formulae should be used for quantification of detrusor work. DU is likely to be multifactorial. Aging causes a decay in detrusor activity but other concomitant causes, either myogenic or neurogenic, may aggravate the problem resulting in decrease of detrusor contractility. No effective pharmacotherapy for the condition exists. Only a few surgical therapeutic strategies have been explored, such as neuromodulation and skeletal muscle myoplasties. Consequently, the management of affected individuals remains unsatisfactory.

CONCLUSIONS

Future directions recommended by the ICI-RS panel include assessment of pathogenesis by developing novel animal models in addition to new non-invasive tests allowing longitudinal trials. Furthermore, optimizing the existing evaluation algorithms to support standard testing for DU and further epidemiological studies to quantify the size of the problem are required for the development of future treatment modalities.

Correlation of male overactive bladder with intravesical prostatic protrusion

Purpose

Male overactive bladder (OAB) may be caused by prostatic pathologies such as bladder outlet obstruction (BOO). Intravesical prostatic protrusion (IPP) has been found to correlate with BOO and acute urinary retention. We investigated the interrelation between male OAB symptoms and IPP for estimating anatomical changes to the prostate.

Materials and Methods

We assessed 179 consecutive men aged >40 years who presented with lower urinary tract symptoms. The initial evaluation included International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and quality of life assessments, transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS), uroflowmetry, and postvoid residual urine volume. The degree of IPP was determined by the distance from the tip of the protrusion to the circumference of the bladder at the base of the prostate gland. Patients with IPP <0.5 cm were defined as group A (n=114), and patients having 0.5 cm≤IPP<1 cm were defined as group B (n=38). The others were defined as group C (n=27).

Results

A total of 51 patients complained of urgency in group A, 38 patients in group B, and 27 patients in group C. Likewise, 14 patients had a history of acute urinary retention in group A, 8 patients in group B, and 16 patients in group C. IPP grade had a statistically significant relation with both OAB and a history of acute urinary retention.

Conclusions

The results of our study have shown that male OAB is correlated with IPP. However, larger scale studies are needed to confirm these results.

Aging and the underactive detrusor: a failure of activity or activation?

AIMS

To examine the known and potential contributions of motor, sensory, and biomechanical dysfunctions to the clinical problems of detrusor underactivity and detrusor hyperactivity/impaired contractility.

METHODS

A review of the current literature on non-obstructive voiding dysfunction associated with aging was conducted. The functional impact of age-induced biomechanical tissue change via alterations in sensory transduction is considered.

RESULTS

Impaired contractility has been regarded as etiologic of detrusor underactivity. However, an age-related degradation in detrusor contractility as the primary contributor to impaired bladder emptying has not been conclusively demonstrated. To the extent that detrusor contraction force and duration are dependent upon efferent nerve activity and thus reflex responses to sensory activity, there is a potential impact of impaired sensory function on voiding efficiency. Structural and functional tissue changes accompanying aging may result in altered bladder afferent function, with subsequent reflex impairment of detrusor voiding function.

CONCLUSIONS

The relative contributions of motor, sensory, and biomechanical dysfunctions to impaired voiding performance independent of outlet obstruction associated with aging remain to be elucidated.

Overactive bladder in males

The prevalence of overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms is considerable in both men and women and the impact on quality of life (QOL) is equally substantial. Ironically, despite nearly equal prevalence, OAB symptoms in men are infrequently treated, and often with medical therapies aimed at bladder outlet obstruction (BOO). In this review, we examine the pathophysiology of OAB and its evaluation in the context of benign prostatic hypertrophy and concomitant BOO. We then consider the efficacy and safety of individual therapeutic options for lower urinary tract symptoms in men, focusing on the mainstays of medical therapy: α-adrenergic blockers, 5-α reductase inhibitors, and antimuscarinic agents. Finally, we aim to comment on new therapeutic strategies and targets that may one day be available for the treatment of male OAB.

Persistent detrusor overactivity after transurethral resection of the prostate

Detrusor overactivity is associated with aging and benign prostatic obstruction and often causes the troublesome symptoms of urgency and urgency incontinence (overactive bladder), persistent detrusor overactivity after transurethral resection of the prostate being the cause of more than a third of poor symptomatic outcomes following surgery. Most of the evidence currently suggests that neurons of the urothelium at the bladder neck play a significant role in the genesis of detrusor overactivity. Treatment options including botulinum toxin injections and intravesical vanilloids have been studied in the treatment of persistent detrusor overactivity, but further studies are needed specifically in patients with persistent detrusor overactivity after transurethral resection of the prostate. As urodynamic studies are able to predict a proportion of postoperative failures, more widespread use is advocated by many in the routine assessment of lower urinary tract symptoms thought to be due to benign prostatic obstruction.

The efficacy of transurethral resection of the prostate in the patients with weak bladder contractility index

OBJECTIVES

We evaluated the effect of transurethral resection of the prostate (TUR-P) in men with weak bladder contractility who were unresponsive to medical treatment.

METHODS

Among the patients who underwent TUR-P for lower urinary tract symptoms at our institution, we reviewed the records of consecutive 71 patients who had preoperative urodynamic evaluations. According to the bladder outlet obstruction index and the bladder contractility index, the patients were divided into 2 groups: group A (25 patients) with unobstructed and weak bladder contractility, and group B (46 patients) with obstructed and/or normal bladder contractility. We investigated the differences of International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), quality of life (QoL), maximum flow rate (Q(max)), postvoid residuals (PVR), and the patient subjective satisfaction between the 2 groups after the TUR-P.

RESULTS

Mean follow-up period after TUR-P was 19 months (range 12 to 55 months). After the TUR-P, the IPSS/QoL, and PVR were significantly improved in group A and all parameters in group B. Patients in group B showed a more significant improvement with regard to the IPSS and they were more satisfied after the TUR-P than group A.

CONCLUSIONS

There were significant improvements in IPSS/QoL and PVR after TUR-P in patients with weak bladder contractility and more than 60% were satisfied with the results of the surgery. TUR-P is considered an optional procedure for the treatment of men with weak bladder contractility who are unresponsive to medical treatment.

New method for minimally invasive urodynamic assessment in men with lower urinary tract symptoms

OBJECTIVES

Urodynamic studies are considered the reference standard to diagnose bladder outlet obstruction. However, the procedure is invasive, expensive, and time-consuming. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a new minimally invasive urodynamic assessment model and compare the results with those of conventional urodynamic evaluation.

METHODS

The study included 50 male patients who presented with lower urinary tract symptoms. Their mean age was 62 years (range 34 to 82). After undergoing a conventional urodynamic study, they underwent the minimally invasive evaluation. The urethral device is a conical apparatus that adapts to the urethral meatus and fossa navicularis. The isometric bladder pressure and interrupted flow were recorded. The results of the conventional assessment were classified according to the Abrams-Griffiths number and a logistic regression fit was applied to the minimally invasive method.

RESULTS

Only two variables demonstrated the predictive capacity: the isometric pressure and interrupted flow. In addition to selecting the relevant variables, logistic regression analysis is a more adequate model that provides a binary result of obstructed and unobstructed, used to predict the normal and equivocal categories of the Abrams-Griffiths classification, and taken as the reference standard. The sensitivity and specificity of the new method was 67% and 79%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The urethral device proved to be simple and easy to use. The minimally invasive method was able to detect most patients with bladder outlet obstruction; thus, the conventional urodynamic assessment could be avoided. We consider this method to have a place as a first-line noninvasive examination.

The Immediate and 6-mo Reproducibility of Pressure–Flow Studies in Men with Benign Prostatic Enlargement

OBJECTIVES

Urodynamics is an objective method of diagnosing bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) in men. This study examined the immediate and 6-mo reproducibility of this investigation.

METHODS

Urodynamics was performed in men as part of a multinational, multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled drug trial. Each patient had two fill/void cycles both at baseline and 6 mo. The BOO index (BOOI) and bladder contractility index (BCI) were calculated for each cycle and data analysed to look for changes in immediate and 6-mo reproducibility between the two fill/void cycles.

RESULTS

A total of 114 patients had urodynamics at baseline. In the immediate term, although there was a small but statistical fall in both the BOOI and BCI, with cycle one figures greater than those in cycle two, 81% and 79% of patients remained in the same BOOI and BCI category, respectively. At 6 mo, the differences were not statistically different with 70% of patients remaining unchanged in their BOOI category in cycle one and 71% in cycle two; 65% remained unchanged in their BCI category in cycle one and 74% in cycle two. No patient with a BOOI > 65 changed category in the second investigation, and only 5 of 103 first cycles with a BOOI > or = 50 changed category to equivocal obstruction.

CONCLUSIONS

Urodynamics has good reproducibility when looking at the BOOI and BCI, indicating that a second study is not necessary in most patients and one investigation is sufficient for an accurate diagnosis on which treatment options can be based.

Influence of bladder contractility on short-term outcomes of high-power potassium-titanyl-phosphate photoselective vaporization of the prostate

OBJECTIVES

To determine the effect of bladder contractility on the outcomes of high-power (80 W) potassium-titanyl-phosphate laser vaporization of the prostate in men with lower urinary tract symptoms.

METHODS

A total of 68 men with a median age of 68.5 years (range 53 to 86) were included in the study. The median follow-up was 9 months (range 6 to 21).

RESULTS

The median International Prostate Symptom Score and quality-of-life index decreased from 18 to 8.5 (P <0.001) and from 4 to 2 (P <0.001), respectively. The median maximal flow rate increased from 10 to 16.1 mL/s (P <0.001) and the median postvoid residual urine volume decreased from 28 to 10 mL (P <0.001). No differences were found in the change in the International Prostate Symptom Score or maximal flow rate according to age, prostate volume, or bladder outlet obstruction index. The weak bladder contractility index (BCI) group (BCI less than 100) had a smaller decrease in the median International Prostate Symptom Score and a smaller increase in the maximal flow rate than did those in the higher BCI group (BCI of 100 or more; P = 0.047 and P = 0.035, respectively). The baseline clinical parameters, including age, prostate volume, serum prostate-specific antigen, and bladder outlet obstruction index, were not significantly different between the low and greater BCI groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the present study have shown that after high-power potassium-titanyl-phosphate laser vaporization, patients with weak bladder contractility had less subjective and objective improvement than did those patients with normal or strong bladder contractility.

Is the short-term outcome of transurethral resection of the prostate affected by preoperative degree of bladder outlet obstruction, status of detrusor contractility or detrusor overactivity?

AIM

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the preoperative degree of bladder outlet obstruction (BOO), detrusor underactivity (DUA) or detrusor overactivity (DO) affected the short-term outcome of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) for patients with lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH).

METHODS

Ninety-two patients with LUTS/BPH aged 50 years or older who were considered to be appropriate candidates for TURP were included in this study. Pressure-flow study and filling cystometry were performed to determine BOO, DUA and DO before TURP. The efficacy of TURP was determined at 3 months after surgery using the efficacy criteria for treatment of BPH assessed by the International Prostate Symptom Score, QOL index, maximum flow rate and postvoid residual urine volume.

RESULTS

On preoperative urodynamics, 60%, 40% and 48% of patients showed BOO, DUA and DO, respectively. After TURP, 76% showed 'excellent' or 'good' overall efficacy, whereas only 13% fell into the 'poor/worse' category. The efficacy was higher as the preoperative degree of BOO worsened. In contrast, neither DO nor DUA influenced the outcome of TURP. However, the surgery likely provided unfavorable efficacy for patients having DO but not BOO. Only 20% of the patients who had both DO and DUA but did not have BOO achieved efficacy.

CONCLUSIONS

Transurethral resection of the prostate is an effective surgical procedure for treatment of LUTS/BPH, especially for patients with BOO. DUA may not be a contraindication for TURP. The surgical indication should be circumspect for patients who do not have BOO but have DO.

Impaired detrusor contractility in community-dwelling elderly presenting with lower urinary tract symptoms

OBJECTIVES

To determine the prevalence of impaired detrusor contractility (IDC) with and without detrusor hyperactivity (DH) among community-dwelling elderly with lower urinary tract symptoms and to identify which patients are at a greater risk of having a hypocontractile detrusor.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective chart review of all patients 70 years old or older with storage and/or voiding lower urinary tract symptoms who had undergone urodynamic pressure-flow studies in a urodynamic referral center during a 2-year period.

RESULTS

During the study period, 181 patients (82 men [45%] and 99 women [55%]), aged 70 years or older (mean age 75.7 +/- 4.8), underwent urodynamic studies. IDC was detected in 39 (48%) of the 82 men and in 12 (12%) of the 99 women. Two thirds of the men and one half of the women with IDC also had involuntary detrusor contractions during the filling phase and/or low bladder compliance. The prevalence of IDC/DH-IDC was significantly greater in those with a history of urinary retention and an indwelling urethral catheter.

CONCLUSIONS

Detrusor-impaired contractility is an important pathophysiologic mechanism in older patients with lower urinary tract symptoms, especially in men. Establishing the diagnosis by urodynamic pressure-flow studies is crucial for determining treatment--potentially harmful to this vulnerable population--from objective parameters rather than by empirical decisions.

Null mutation in macrophage migration inhibitory factor prevents muscle cell loss and fibrosis in partial bladder outlet obstruction

Idiopathic detrusor underactivity (DU) and detrusor decompensation which develops following partial bladder outlet obstruction (pBOO) are both associated with smooth muscle degeneration and fibrosis. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), an important mediator of bladder inflammation, has been shown to promote fibroblast survival and muscle death in other tissues. We evaluated the hypothesis that MIF has similar actions in the bladder by studying detrusor responses to pBOO or sham surgery in anesthetized female mice rendered null for the mif gene (MIF KO) and in wild-type (WT) controls, all killed 3 wk after surgery. WT mice revealed intense MIF immunoreactivity in urothelial cells which decreased, without change in overall mif mRNA levels. Stereologically sound quantitative morphometric measurements were performed in the middetrusor region of each bladder. MIF KO bladders were normal in appearance, yet were 30–40% heavier, with increased middetrusor collagen and muscle, compared with WT controls. In WT mice, pBOO increased the collagen-to-muscle ratio 1.9-fold and middetrusor collagen 1.8-fold, while nucleated muscle counts were 22% lower. In MIF KO mice, by contrast, pBOO had no significant effect on any of these parameters. In primary bladder muscle cultures, treatment with rMIF protein increased TUNEL staining, raising the proportion of early and late apoptotic cells on flow cytometry. Our studies implicate MIF in the sequence of events leading to detrusor muscle loss and fibrosis in obstruction. They raise the possibility that strategies designed to antagonize MIF synthesis, release, or biological activity could prevent or delay DU and urinary retention.

An evaluation of the economic costs and patient-related consequences of treatments for benign prostatic hyperplasia

OBJECTIVE

To compare the costs and effectiveness of treatments for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), including watchful waiting, pharmaceuticals (alpha-blockers, 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, combined therapy), transurethral microwave thermotherapy (TUMT), and transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This study used a Markov model over a 20-year period and the societal perspective to evaluate the costs of treatment alternatives for BPH. Markov states include urinary symptom improvement, symptom improvement with adverse effects, or no urinary symptom improvement. For the analysis, patients could remain on their initial treatment, change to a different treatment, have treatment failure that required TURP, or die (all-cause mortality). We used published data for outcomes, including systematic reviews when possible. Costs were estimated using a managed-care claims database and Medicare fee schedules. Costs and effectiveness outcomes were discounted at 3%/year where appropriate. Men (aged > or = 45 years) with moderate-to-severe lower urinary tract symptoms and uncomplicated BPH were included in the analysis, and results were stratified by age. Outcomes include costs, disease progression, surgery, hospitalization, and catheterization time.

RESULTS

What is the 'best' treatment depends on the value that an individual and society place on costs and consequences. alpha-Blockers are less expensive than the alternatives, and are effective at relieving patient-reported symptoms. Unfortunately, they have little effect on clinical outcomes and have the highest BPH progression rate. Other treatments have lower disease progression and better clinical outcomes, but are more expensive and entail more invasive treatments, and/or more uncertainty.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment decisions are made using a variety of information, including the cost and consequences of treatment. The best treatment depends on the patient's preference and the outcome considered most important. alpha-Blockers are very effective at treating urinary symptoms but do not improve clinical outcomes, including disease progression, relative to other treatments. TURP remains the 'gold standard' for surgical procedures. The desire to avoid TURP or the 2 weeks of catheterization associated with TUMT might affect a patient's treatment decision when symptoms are severe. Therefore, more information about patient preferences and risk aversion is needed to inform treatment decision-making for BPH.

Four-dimensional ultrasonography for dynamic bladder shape visualization and analysis during voiding

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to describe initial applications of 4-dimensional ultrasonography (4DUS) for visualizing dynamic change in 3-dimensional (3D) bladder shape as well as for analyzing intravesical volume and diameters during voiding.

METHODS

In 15 healthy volunteers and 5 patients with lower urinary tract symptoms, 4DUS images of the bladder during voiding were obtained by transabdominal 4DUS and compared with the outcome of uroflowmetry. Changes of intravesical volume as well as diameters in axial, coronal, and sagittal planes were measured and analyzed in comparison with uroflow data.

RESULTS

Dynamic 3D visualization of the bladder shape was feasible in all 20 men. Multiplanar display of 4DUS showed dynamic 3D images of the bladder during voiding to be simultaneously visualized in the axial, coronal, and sagittal planes. The change and decrease rate in intravesical volume calculated by 4DUS data had significant correlation with the average flow rate (P = .02) and the maximum flow rate (P = .04), respectively. Among the 3 diameters, the change of coronal diameter was significantly most correlated with change of the intravesical volume (P < .0001). The change in coronal diameter, which was observed in patients with urinary disturbance, had a significant difference compared with those observed in control subjects (P = .01).

CONCLUSIONS

Monitoring of voiding with 4DUS was feasible in healthy men and patients with lower urinary tract symptoms. Four-dimensional ultrasonography has the potential to be a novel noninvasive urodynamic modality to visualize dynamically the lower urinary tract during voiding and to improve pathophysiologic understanding of voiding.

Safety and Tolerability of Tolterodine for the Treatment of Overactive Bladder in Men With Bladder Outlet Obstruction

PURPOSE

Antimuscarinic therapy for men with OAB and BOO is perceived as a potential risk for urinary retention. Using pressure flow urodynamics, we evaluated the safety of tolterodine vs placebo in men with OAB and BOO.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Men (older than 40 years) with BOO and confirmed detrusor overactivity were randomized to tolterodine (2 mg twice daily in 149) or placebo (in 72) for 12 weeks. Primary end points were Qmax and pdetQmax.

RESULTS

Median treatment differences in Qmax (-0.7 ml per second, 95% CI -1.6 to 0.4) and pdetQmax (-7 cm H2O, 95% CI -3 to 11) were comparable. Tolterodine significantly reduced the BOOI vs placebo (-9 vs 0, p < 0.02). There were significant treatment differences in volume to first detrusor contraction (+59 ml, 95% CI 19-100) and maximum cystometric capacity (+67 ml, 95% CI 35-103), favoring tolterodine over placebo (p < 0.003). Change in PVR was significantly greater among patients treated with tolterodine (+25 ml) than placebo (0 ml, p < 0.004). There were no significant between-group differences in the incidence of adverse events. Urinary retention was reported by 1 patient treated with placebo.

CONCLUSIONS

Tolterodine did not adversely affect urinary function in men with OAB and BOO. Urinary flow rate was unaltered, and there was no evidence of clinically meaningful changes in voiding pressure and PVR or urinary retention. Tolterodine was well tolerated. These results suggest that antimuscarinics can be safely administered in men with BOO.

Predictives regarding outcome after transurethral resection for prostatic adenoma associated with detrusor underactivity

OBJECTIVES

To elucidate the predictive factors regarding the treatment outcomes after transurethral resection of the prostate for symptomatic benign prostatic enlargement with detrusor underactivity.

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted in 190 patients with detrusor underactivity of 1397 men who had undergone transurethral resection of the prostate. All patients had completed the International Prostate Symptom Score and quality-of-life (QOL) questionnaires and had undergone a full urodynamic analysis before surgery. The outcomes were assessed at 3 and 12 months postoperatively using the International Prostate Symptom Score, QOL score, and peak urinary flow rate. The association between the baseline variables and improvement in the outcome variables was analyzed statistically.

RESULTS

Preoperative urodynamic abnormalities included bladder outlet obstruction in 58.9% and detrusor overactivity (DO) in 32.1%. Multivariate analysis suggested that the initial level of storage symptoms, as well as the QOL score, were predictive of an improvement in the QOL. Postoperative improvement in symptoms and QOL was consistently influenced by the presence of DO before surgery. The baseline degree of bladder outlet obstruction, as well as patient age, consistently influenced the improvement in the peak urinary flow rate.

CONCLUSIONS

In selected patients with benign prostatic enlargement associated with detrusor underactivity, greater baseline storage symptom scores and the presence of DO were negative predictive factors for QOL improvement. Baseline DO was also predictive of poorer improvement in the subjective symptoms after transurethral resection of the prostate. A greater degree of baseline bladder outlet obstruction positively predicted for postoperative peak urinary flow rate improvement, and patient age predicted negatively for it.

Altered expression of thin filament-associated proteins in hypertrophied urinary bladder smooth muscle

AIMS

Obstruction of the urinary bladder outlet induces detrusor smooth muscle (DSM) hypertrophy. The goal of this study was to determine whether the composition of thin filament-associated proteins, known to play important roles in cytoskeletal structure and/or the regulation of contraction, is altered in DSM during hypertrophy.

METHODS

DSM hypertrophy was induced in male rabbits by partial ligation of the urethra. Sham-operated rabbits served as a control. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and real-time PCR revealed a significant increase in the expression of mRNAs for basic (h1) calponin (CaP), and alpha-isoform of tropomyosin (Tm) in hypertrophied DSM compared to controls. Western blotting and two-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoresis showed enhanced expression of these proteins and also a significant increase in the expression of beta-non muscle and gamma-smooth muscle actin in the DSM from obstructed bladders, while alpha-actin remained constant.

RESULTS

Enhanced expression of these proteins in the DSM from obstructed bladders was confirmed by immunofluorescence microscopy. Double immunostaining with Cap/Tm and alpha/beta-actin-specific antibodies showed co-localization of these proteins in myocytes. Colocalization of smooth muscle specific myosin and CaP to cytoplasmic filaments in cells dissociated from the hypertrophied DSM indicated that these cells are differentiated smooth muscle cells.

CONCLUSIONS

The change in the isoforms of actin, Cap, and Tm may be part of the molecular mechanism for bladder compensation in increased urethral resistance.

The natural history of lower urinary tract dysfunction in men: minimum 10-year urodynamic follow-up of untreated detrusor underactivity

OBJECTIVES

To assess the long-term symptomatic and urodynamic outcomes of men with untreated detrusor underactivity (DUA) as there has been little long-term follow-up information on men with DUA, a cause of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in a significant minority of men.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Neurologically intact men aged > 18 years who were investigated in our department between 1972 and 1986, diagnosed with DUA, and who initially opted for no specific treatment were invited for a repeat symptomatic and urodynamic evaluation. Identical methods of assessment were used, allowing results to be compared directly.

RESULTS

In all, 224 men were initially diagnosed with DUA; 87 (39%) of these died. Of the 69 men who initially opted for a conservative approach and attended for repeat assessment, 58 (84%) remained untreated, with a mean follow-up of 13.6 years. There were no significant changes in symptoms over the follow-up. The only significant urodynamic finding was an increase in the proportion of patients with detrusor overactivity, but with no apparent worsening of chronic retention. Of the 11 men in who failed the conservative approach, eight proceeded to surgery for LUTS, and three for acute urinary retention.

CONCLUSIONS

These results provide important information on the natural history of DUA. In men with DUA presenting with LUTS there are few symptomatic and urodynamic changes with time.

The natural history of lower urinary tract dysfunction in men: minimum 10-year urodynamic followup of transurethral resection of prostate for bladder outlet obstruction

PURPOSE

Despite long-term symptomatic and uroflowmetry studies following transurethral prostate resection (TURP) there are sparse pressure flow data. Consequently there is minimal information to account for the long-term symptomatic failure and flow rate decrease seen with time following early improvements after surgery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Men older than 45 years who were investigated at our department between 1972 and 1986, diagnosed with bladder outlet obstruction and elected surgical intervention were invited for repeat symptomatic and urodynamic assessment. Identical methods were used, allowing direct comparison of results.

RESULTS

A total of 1,068 men were initially diagnosed with bladder outlet obstruction, of whom 428 (40%) died in the interim. Of the men who were followed 217 underwent TURP with a mean followup since surgery of 13.0 years. A significant, sustained decrease in the majority of symptoms and improvements of urodynamic parameters was seen. Long-term symptomatic failure and decreased flow rate were principally associated with detrusor under activity (DUA) rather than obstruction. Presentation predictive factors for the future development of DUA were decreased detrusor contractility and a lesser degree of obstruction.

CONCLUSIONS

This unique long-term study provides valuable information on surgically treated bladder outlet obstruction. The association of long-term failure following surgery with DUA emphasizes the importance of pressure flow studies before repeat surgery. However, our faith in the long-term efficacy of TURP is justified.