Purpose: To investigate the clinical significance of the intravesical prostatic protrusion (IPP) index in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients to clarify its diagnostic value in predicting the clinical and structural abnormalities of the prostate.
Materials and Methods: In this descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study, we include every man older than 50 years old with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), predominantly voiding or obstructive, suggestive of BPH. The patients were evaluated to determine the following indices: IPSS (International Prostate Symptom Score) Index, QoL (quality of life), prostate volume (PV) and postvoid residual urine (PVR), serum PSA level, and the maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax) obtained by uroflowmetry. Subsequently, the assessment of the IPP index was undertaken by transabdominal ultrasonography. The categorization of the IPP index was done into 3 grades: grade one (below 5 mm), grade two (between 5 and 10 mm), and grade three (greater than 10 mm).
Results: The significant direct correlation between the intravesical prostatic protrusion and international prostate symptom score, quality of life, prostate volume, postvoid residual urine, and serum PSA as well as inversely with the maximum urinary flow rate was confirmed both before and after the medical treatment. Also, the need for surgical intervention increased significantly with increasing IPP levels.
Conclusion: The intravesical prostatic protrusion can be used to evaluate and predict the severity of symptoms and outcomes in patients with clinical BPH.