Correlation between prostate volume measured by ultrasound and detrusor wall thickness in men with benign prostatic hypertrophy

Background: Benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) causes subvesical urinary obstruction in the elderly. It leads to changes in the bladder and upper urinary tract. This may be progressive with subsequent morbidities and mortalities. This study aims at determining the relationship between ultrasound-measured prostate volume and detrusor wall thickness (DWT) in men with BPH. Materials and Methods: One hundred and ten patients who met the inclusion criteria and were diagnosed with clinical BPH were enrolled. They had no other identifiable cause of bladder outlet obstruction. The International Prostate Symptoms Score (IPSS), Quality of Life (QOL) score, prostate volume, and DWT were measured. Correlation between prostate volume and DWT was done using SPSS version 20.0 (IBM, SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA). A P-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean age of patients was 68.3 ± 10.2 years, with a range of 40–100 years. The mean prostate volume and DWT were 94.2 ± 68.4 cm3 and 5.9 ± 3.0 mm, respectively. Mean QOL was 4.77 ± 1.35. The highest IPSS was 35 and lowest was 2. Nocturia was the major IPSS subscore. There was a positive correlation between prostate volume and DWT in men with BPH (r = 0.37; P = 0.007). This is statistically significant. Conclusion: Ultrasound-measured prostate volume correlates positively with DWT in men with BPH. This is statistically significant and is able to determine progression of the disease. Coexisting large prostate volume and thickened detrusor wall are an indicator of disease progression and eventual need for surgical intervention. This prevents renal damage.