Benign prostatic hyperplasia as an emerging medical disease: Experience of a tertiary health centre in North-Western Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) has been predominantly a surgical disease, but with the availability of more potent medical treatments, it is now primarily managed medically. We present our 12-year experience in the management of BPH.

Materials and Methods: This is a 12-year retrospective study of patients managed for BPH at our institution from January 2013 to December 2024. Data were collected via proforma and analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 25.0, and results were reported in percentage and mean ± standard deviation.

Results: A total number of 309 patients were managed for BPH during the study period, out of 29,150 patients with urological conditions, giving a prevalence of 1.1%. The mean age of the patients was 64.8 ± 9.6 years, with a range of 43–94 years. The most common presentation to the emergency unit was urinary retention, which was seen in 135 patients (43.7%). Other presentations included haematuria in 40 patients (12.9%), chronic kidney disease in 52 patients (16.8%) and urinary tract infection in 58 patients (18.8%). The mean prostatic volume and the prostate-specific antigen were 67.8 g and 14.0 ng/mL, respectively. Medical therapy was offered to 263 patients (85.1%). Surgical intervention was offered to 46 patients (14.9%).

Conclusion: BPH accounted for 1.1% of urological cases in our environment. The majority of the patients (85%) were treated with medical therapy satisfactorily.