ABSTRACT

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a histologic condition affecting >50% of men >60 years and nearly all men aged >80 years, frequently resulting in bladder outlet obstruction and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Approximately 75% of men > 50 years of age experience LUTS suggestive of BPH. Despite the high prevalence of moderate-to-severe LUTS, a large proportion of men never discuss their symptoms, resulting in underdiagnosis of BPH. In addition to LUTS, histologic BPH also results in morbidity such as acute urinary retention, obstructive uropathy and urinary tract infections and sexual dysfunction and may deteriorate quality of life.

Although, it is not life-threatening, BPH may result in morbidity and decrease in quality of life, therefore, understanding of BPH prevalance, may help phsycians to give more attention to diagnosis and treatment of BPH and may help to National Health Systems to cope with the costs. In spite of numerous studies about prevalance of BPH in literature, some of them are conflicting. Althought, there are several studies about prevalance of LUTS in Turkey, none of them directly addresses the prevalance of BPH. The aim of this article, to review Turkish and Intercontinental wellknown studies about prevalance of BPH/LUTS and provide better understanding of prevalance of BPH.