Symptoms and symptom scores in BPH.

Symptoms occupy a central role in the management of bladder outflow obstruction (BOO) due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Patients present with symptoms and are concerned with their resolution. Many urologists use symptoms as the basis for the diagnosis of bladder outflow obstruction and for assessing the effects of treatment. In this review we will discuss the relationship between the 'obstructive' symptoms of prostatism, and the objective evidence of disordered voiding and bladder outflow obstruction, and will highlight gaps in our understanding of the pathophysiology of the symptoms of prostatism.