Abstract
Background: To investigate the clinical significance of the intravesical prostatic protrusion (IPP) index in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients to clarify its diagnostic value in predicting the clinical and structural abnormalities of the prostate. Methods: In this descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study, every man older than 50 years with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), predominantly voiding or obstructive, suggestive of BPH were included. The patients were evaluated to determine the following indices: International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) index, quality of life (QoL), prostate volume (PV) and postvoid residual urine (PVR), serum PSA level, and the maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax) obtained by uroflowmetry. Subsequently, the assessment of the IPP index was conducted by transabdominal ultrasonography. The categorization of the IPP index was done into 3 grades: Grade one (below 5 mm), grade two (between 5 and 10 mm), and grade three (greater than 10 mm). Results: A significant direct correlation between the IPP and IPSS, QoL, PV, PVR, and serum PSA, as well as inversely with the Qmax, was detected before and after medical treatment. Also, the need for surgical intervention increased significantly with the IPP index. Conclusions: The IPP can be used to evaluate and predict the severity of symptoms and outcomes in patients with clinical BPH.