THE CORRELATION BETWEEN BLADDER OUTLET OBSTRUCTION AND LOWER URINARY-TRACT SYMPTOMS AS MEASURED BY THE INTERNATIONAL PROSTATE SYMPTOM SCORE

Purpose: We studied the relationship between lower urinary tract sympt oms as measured by the international prostate symptom score (I-PSS) an d urodynamic findings in elderly men. Materials and Methods: We evalua ted 803 consecutive patients with lower urinary tract symptoms via the I-PSS and urodynamics with pressure-flow studies. Results: A statisti cally significant correlation was found between all I-PSS questions (e xcept intermittency) and objective parameters of obstruction. However, the clinical significance of this finding is minimal because a large overlap of symptom scores exists among patients with different grades of bladder outlet obstruction. The filling component of the I-PSS corr elated somewhat better with obstruction than did the voiding component . Conclusions: It seems impossible to diagnose bladder outlet obstruct ion from symptoms alone. It does not even seem possible to define subg roups in which further urodynamic examination is indicated.