[PREVALENCE OF BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA IN SPINA BIFIDA PATIENTS].

INTRODUCTION

In recent decades, with improvement in therapy, men born with spina bifida (myelomeningocele) live longer and reach adulthood. This raises the question whether they develop age-related benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). We recently found that low spinal cord injuries reverse age-related prostatic growth, suggesting that continuous nervous system support is essential for sustaining BPH.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to examine if patients born with spina bifida develop BPH as they age.

METHODS

This was a multi-center study. The prostate volume (PV) of 24 spina bifida patients older than 35 years were documented from recent available imaging, or from ultrasound testing conducted as part of the research. Each patient's measured volume was compared to expected age-adjusted average volumes of healthy men. Additional clinical variables were collected.

RESULTS

Patients' median age was 46 years, with a range of 35-61 years. The prostate volume of spina bifida patients was on average 18% smaller than age-expected volume (P<0.005). The most common level of injury was lumbar; however, no significant correlation was found between the level of injury and PV. Non-parametric statistical tests did not show a significant correlation between PV and other clinical variables, probably due to the small sample size.

CONCLUSIONS

Spina bifida patients have smaller PV than age expected, and do not commonly develop BPH. This information is beneficial for clinicians counselling spina bifida patients. Moreover, it provides additional evidence of the nervous system's role in developing BPH and raises the possibility of finding a non-hormonal pharmacological intervention for reversing BPH.