Aims and methods

Objective: Few epidemiological studies are available on Italian patients wi th lower urinary tract symptoms and their QoL. QUIBUS (QUality of life Inve stigated in BPH patients with Urinary Symptoms) is an observational longitu dinal study aimed at evaluating symptoms and QoL in a large sample of Itali an patients and investigating their correlation with demographic, social an d clinical characteristics of BPH. Patients and Methods: Patients with lowe r urinary tract symptoms and prostate enlargement suggestive of BPH (both o ld and new diagnosis) were enrolled between November 1998 and May 1999 in 3 1 Italian centers of urology. This longitudinal investigation consists of a n enrollment visit, in which demographic, social and clinical aspects are r ecorded as baseline data, and a follow-up visit after 1 year of treatment f reely assigned by the investigators. Symptoms and QoL are assessed by means of IPSS, ICS-BPH (at both visits) and SF-36 (only at the follow-up visit) questionnaires. Results: 1,033 patients were enrolled. The follow-up visit is still under evaluation. In this series of papers the baseline results ar e presented and discussed in terms of (i) medical management, (ii) life-sty le, (iii) symptoms, bothersomeness and QoL, (iv) sexual function of a large and representative sample of Italian patients and (v) uroflowmetry. Copyri ght (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.