The Effect of Bladder Outlet Obstruction Treatment on Ultrasound-Determined Bladder Wall Thickness
Andrea Tubaro, MD, FEBU, Cosimo De Nunzio, MD, Alberto Trucchi, MD, FEBU, Giovanni Palleschi, MD, Lucio Miano, MD – Department of Urology, Sant’Andrea Hospital – 2nd School of Medicine, “La Sapienza” University, Rome, Italy

Detrusor hypertrophy associated with bladder outlet obstruction can be imaged on suprapubic ultrasound, and bladder mass can be quantified from the evaluation of bladder wall thickness and bladder volume. Bladder wall hypertrophy has been found to be correlated with detrusor function. Independent studies have shown that surgical treatment of benign prostatic obstruction results in a significant decrease of bladder mass. Preliminary data suggest the possibility that medical treatment with a-adrenergic antagonists might also produce a reduction of bladder wall hypertrophy, although confirmation is still awaited. The development of dedicated automated ultrasound systems for the evaluation of bladder mass might result in the use of such parameters in clinical trials of treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia and ultimately in daily urologic practice.
[Rev Urol. 2005;7(suppl 6):S35-S42]

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