TRANSURETHRAL MICROWAVE THERMOTHERAPY - A COMPARISON BETWEEN CLINICALOUTCOME AND MORPHOLOGIC EFFECTS ASSESSED BY URETHROGRAPHY

Purpose: To detect possible morphologic changes in the urethra in an a ttempt to clarify the effects of thermotherapy (TUMT). Material and Me thods: Eighteen patients with symptomatic disturbance in micturition a nd a prostatic volume of 14-133 cm(3) underwent voiding cystourethrogr am and retrograde urethrogram before and 6 and 12 months after treatme nt. TUMT treatment was carried out with a Prostatron unit. Results: No correlation was found between subjective improvement in symptoms and morphologic changes of the urethra. There were more responders among p atients who received a high microwave effect. Conclusion: We conclude that there is no evidence to support the view that TUMT leads to signi ficant necrosis in the prostate with loss of tissue and retraction. Ou r results support the view that TUMT causes denervation of the prostat e.