PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Rosenberg, Matt T.
AU  - Lakin, Milton M.
AU  - Staskin, David R.
AU  - Levy, Albert
AU  - Samraj, George P.
TI  - Benign prostatic hyperplasia: When to ‘watch and wait,’ when and how to treat
DP  - 2007 May 01
TA  - Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine
PG  - S15--S20
VI  - 74
IP  - 5 suppl 3
4099  - http://www.ccjm.org/content/74/5_suppl_3/S15.short
4100  - http://www.ccjm.org/content/74/5_suppl_3/S15.full
SO  - Cleve Clin J Med2007 May 01; 74
AB  - Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a clinical diagnosis. While BPH is a common cause of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in men, LUTS can signify a number of other disease states. For this reason, the patient evaluation, which includes a digital rectal examination, and careful differential diagnosis are crucial in men with LUTS. Many men with BPH are asymptomatic, and many others are not bothered by their symptoms; watchful waiting is appropriate management for these patients. When symptoms affect quality of life, pharmacologic therapy should be an option; choices include an alpha-blocker, a 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor, or, for men with larger prostates, a combination of the two. Surgical intervention is indicated when BPH leads to other medical complications, including urinary retention and renal insufficiency.