Effects of Selective Alpha-1-Adrenergic Receptor Blockers on Bladder Weight

[Diagnostic work-up of benign prostatic hyperplasia : The German S2e-guideline 2023 part 1]

BACKGROUND

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH; in German guidelines: benign prostatic syndrome [BPS]) is the most frequent urological disease in men and can result in a considerable deterioration of quality-of-life. BPS can be associated with LUTS, benign prostatic enlargement (BPE), and bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) or benign prostatic obstruction (BPO), respectively. The expert group on BPS of the German Society of Urology has re-evaluated the tests for the assessment of BPH and provides evidence-based recommendations.

OBJECTIVES

Presentation and evidence-based rating of tests for the assessment of patients with BPS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Summary and overview of chapters 5, 6, and 8 of the latest long version of the German S2e guideline on BPS.

RESULTS

The diagnostic work-up should clarify (1) whether the complaints of the patient are caused by BPS, (2) how relevant the complaints are and whether treatment is necessary, (3) whether complications of the lower or upper urinary tract already exist, and (4) which treatment will be most suitable. Baseline assessment should be done in all BPS patients and include history, measurement of LUTS and quality-of-life, urinalysis, serum prostate-specific antigen, post-void residual, ultrasound of the lower urinary tract, including measurements of prostate volume, intravesical prostatic protrusion and detrusor wall thickness, and ultrasound of the upper urinary tract. Additional tests can follow when questions remain unanswered after baseline assessment. These optional tests include bladder diaries, uroflowmetry, serum creatinine, urethrocystoscopy, other noninvasive tests for the determination of BOO/BPO such as penile cuff test, condom catheter method and near-infrared spectroscopy, and other imagining tests such as X‑ray and MRI investigations.

CONCLUSIONS

The updated German S2e guideline summarizes evidence-based recommendations on the diagnostic work-up, including the assessment of the BPS components BPE, LUTS, and BOO/BPO.

The use of imaging techniques in understanding lower urinary tract (dys)function

The ability to store urine in the bladder and to void at an appropriate time depends on several complex mechanisms in the lower urinary tract (LUT) and its neural control. Normal LUT function requires coordination of the urinary bladder, urethra, pelvic floor, efferent and afferent neurons and specific spinal cord and brain areas. These structures can be visualised using different imaging modalities, such as ultrasound, X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging. The supraspinal neural control of the LUT can be studied using functional brain imaging. During the last two decades, the many technological improvements of these imaging techniques have increased our knowledge of voiding dysfunction. Here, we review the different imaging modalities of the LUT and its neural control and discuss their importance for diagnosing and understanding voiding dysfunction.

Pelvic ultrasound evaluation for benign prostatic hyperplasia: prediction of obstruction

Global improvements in water quality, management of infectious diseases, and other medical therapeutics have resulted in a growing population of healthy aging men. One obligate anatomic consequence of aging for these men is the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) with secondary bladder outlet obstruction. Although the voiding symptoms associated with the change in bladder health over time predominantly impact the quality of a man's daily experience, there are also significant medical consequences of BPH that require intervention. It is a challenge to distinguish men who are at risk for these medical consequences from the much larger population of older men with voiding symptoms (lower urinary tract symptoms, LUTS). A variety of national guidelines have been developed to establish a diagnostic paradigm for meeting this challenge, but all suffer from inadequate sensitivity for the early identification of men at risk for permanent bladder injury. It is likely that the application of a thorough pelvic ultrasound designed to identify the pertinent anatomic aspects of both the bladder and prostate will improve the sensitivity of these diagnostic paradigms, with subsequent improvement in the outcomes for men with BPH/LUTS.

The relationship between bladder wall thickness and lower urinary tract symptoms: Does bladder wall thickness change after alpha-blocker therapy with alfuzosin?

INTRODUCTION

We evaluate the association between lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and bladder wall thickness (BWT) and investigate whether alfuzosin might improve BWT.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the data of 164 patients with LUTS. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to BWT (Group 1: BWT ≤5 mm, n = 69; Group 2: BWT >5 mm, n = 95). Age, international prostate symptom score (IPSS), maximum and average urinary flow rates (Qmax and Qave), quality of life (QoL), postvoid residual (PVR) urine volume, prostate volume and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) were compared between the 2 groups. In total, 102 patients underwent transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and 62 patients were treated with alfuzosin. We compared BWT, Qmax, Qave, IPSS, QoL, PVR and PSA before and at the sixth month of alfuzosin therapy. A p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

The mean BWT of Group 1 was 3.72 ± 0.56 mm and Group 2 was 6.43 ± 1.13 mm. There was a significant difference between the 2 groups in terms of mean Qmax and PVR. There was no statistical difference between the groups in terms of Qave, IPSS, QoL, prostate volume and PSA. There was significant difference between BWT before (6.8 ± 2.1) and after (4.6 ± 1.3) treatment with alfuzosin in 62 patients (p = 0.02). There was a significant difference between pre- and post-treatment values of mean Qmax, Qave, IPSS, QoL score, and PVR with alfuzosin.

CONCLUSION

BWT is a non-invasive and effective test to evaluate patients with lower urinary tract obstruction and may be used for showing the effectiveness of alpha-blocker therapy in patients with LUTS.