CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF BLADDER WALL THICKNESS IN MEN WITH BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA USING TRANS ABDOMINAL ULTRASOUND

Abstract

Background: Bladder wall thickness (BWT) may reflect structural changes in the bladder muscle that develop in response to chronic bladder outlet resistance in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Transabdominal ultrasonography offers a simple, radiation-free method for measuring BWT, but its relationship with symptom severity and disease duration has not been fully standardized.

Objective: To assess the association between transabdominal ultrasound-measured BWT and International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) severity, duration of BPH, prostate size, and sonographic BPH grade.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 98 men with BPH at Services Hospital, Lahore. Transabdominal ultrasound was used to assess prostate size and BWT. BPH duration, sonographic grade, and IPSS were recorded. Data were analyzed using correlation, Kruskal–Wallis/Conover tests, and univariable regression.

Results: The mean age was 64.84 +/- 12.92 years (range 43-98). Age was positively correlated with prostate size (r=0.3547, 95% CI 0.1682-0.5168; p=0.0003). Median BWT varied across IPSS categories, measuring 5.0 mm in the mild group (n=71), 6.5 mm in the moderate group (n=21), and 6.0 mm in the severe group (n=6) (Kruskal-Wallis H=25.19, df=2; p<0.001). The mild group differed significantly from both the moderate and severe groups. BWT also showed a modest positive correlation with BPH duration (r=0.3009, 95% CI 0.1090-0.4712; p=0.0026). In exploratory linear models, prostate size and BPH grade were positively associated with BWT (R2=0.081, p=0.0045 and R2=0.133, p=0.0002, respectively).

Conclusion: Bladder wall thickness (BWT) was significantly associated with LUTS severity, disease duration, prostate size, and BPH grade.