Prevalence of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia and Prostate Cancer Among Men Presenting with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms at a Tertiary Referral Hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study.

Background

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs) are among the most common urological complaints in older men, frequently arising from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or prostate cancer (PCa). While both conditions share overlapping symptomatology, the way each condition progresses and is managed differs considerably. In sub-Saharan Africa, data on the relative burden of BPH and PCa among men presenting with LUTSs are scarce. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of histologically confirmed BPH and PCa among men presenting with LUTSs at a major tertiary referral center in Tanzania and to explore the association between specific urinary symptoms and histopathological diagnoses.

Methods

A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, reviewing medical records of adult male patients aged ≥50 years who presented with LUTSs and underwent prostatic biopsy between January and December 2023. A total of 133 patients were included through simple random sampling from an eligible population of 260. Data on demographics, comorbidities, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA), prostate volume, and histopathological biopsy outcomes were extracted using a purpose-built digital form. This study was conducted in compliance with the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines.

Results

Most patients (39.8%) were aged 70 to 79 years. Hypertension was the most frequent comorbidity among those with chronic disease (31.65%), followed by diabetes mellitus (12.03%). The mean serum PSA was 465.1 ng/mL (SD = 1610.1), and the mean prostate volume was 80.6 cm3 (SD = 75.6). Histopathologically, 57.9% of biopsies were benign and 40.6% were malignant. The most commonly reported IPSS symptoms were urinary frequency (78.2%), weak stream (78.2%), and incomplete emptying (64.7%). Most patients (59.4%) had severe IPSSs. Statistically significant associations were observed between biopsy outcomes and incomplete emptying (p = 0.011), frequency (p = 0.014), weak stream (p = 0.022), nocturia (p = 0.001), urge incontinence (p = 0.004), and post-void dribbling (p < 0.001). IPSS severity was significantly associated with biopsy diagnosis (p < 0.001), with 63% of malignant cases presenting with moderate symptom scores.

Conclusions

BPH was the predominant histopathological diagnosis among men presenting with LUTSs at this tertiary center, while prostate cancer accounted for a substantial minority of cases. Certain individual LUTSs, particularly nocturia, urge incontinence, and post-void dribbling, demonstrated significant associations with malignant histopathology. These findings underscore the necessity for systematic histopathological evaluation in all men presenting with LUTSs in resource-limited settings, irrespective of symptom severity.