Prostatic Fibrosis is Associated with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms

Current therapies for male lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to prostate enlargement prevent hormonal effects on prostate growth and inhibit smooth muscle contraction to ease bladder neck and urethral pressure. However, lower urinary tract symptoms can be refractory to these therapies, suggesting that additional biological processes not addressed by them may also contribute to lower urinary tract symptoms. Aging associated fibrotic changes in tissue architecture contribute to dysfunction in multiple organ systems. Thus, we tested whether such changes potentially have a role in impaired urethral function and perhaps in male lower urinary tract symptoms.